Phylogeographic and Phylogenetic Notes on Iberian Ripiphoridae (Coleoptera)

Abstract

To examine the relative phylogenetic position of Metoecus and Macrosiagon, we used a set of newly collected specimens of Ripiphoridae, including species not previously analysed as Ripiphorus subdipterus, R. diadasiae and Macrosiagon praeusta, along with additional Iberian specimens of Ptilophorus dufourii, Macrosiagon bimaculata and Metoecus paradoxus. Our results indicate that the inclusion of additional taxa in the analyses permitted the recovery of the reciprocal monophyly between Metoecus and Macrosiagon, as it was previously supported by morphological data. We also provide a preliminary phylogeographic analysis of Macrosiagon bimaculata aimed to discuss the large morphological variation found within the species, and a molecular analysis on the differentiation level between the Ripiphorus arabiafelix clade and its morphologically similar European counterpart, Ripiphorus subdipterus. The results of these analyses indicate that R. subdipterus is markedly different from R. arabiafelix, and R. a. arabiafelix and R. a. caboverdianus should retain their infraspecific status. The genetic variability of cox1 in M. bimaculata was not geographically structured, nor was its structure related to particular phenotypes.