Phylogeography of the Rice Spittle Bug (Callitettix versicolor) Implies Two Long-Term Mountain Barriers in South China

Abstract

South China is a region of remarkable topographic complexity. However, the impact of climate fluctuations in the Pleistocene on the local fauna and especially insects has not been extensively studied. We integrated mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and microsatellite data of the rice spittle bug, Callitettix versicolor, to determine the genetic structure, potential biogeographic barriers, and historical demography of this species. The mtDNA data revealed two distinct lineages (Western and Eastern) congruent with the geographically separated western and eastern sub-regions of the Hengduan Mountains. The Eastern lineage was subdivided into two sub-lineages, E1 and E2, congruent with the geographically separated northern and southern sub-regions of the Dabie Mountains. E2 was further subdivided into two sub-groups, E2-1 and E2-2, with a hybrid zone (Guizhou and Hunan Provinces) in which their areas were contiguous. The genetic structures constructed using mtDNA were corroborated by four clusters (G1-G4) of microsatellite data. The populations of each cluster were nearly consistent with a sub-lineage of the mtDNA gene tree (G1-G4 corresponded to the Western, E1, E2-2 and E2-1 lineages, respectively). The divergence time estimated between the Western and Eastern lineages was 1.17 (0.50-2.37) to 0.89 (0.39-1.78) Mya, indicating that the lineages diversified on both geographic and temporal scales. The historical demography of the Eastern lineage showed continuous population growth after the Last Interglacial (LIG) and a stable population during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) period. However, the Western lineage remained largely unchanged during the LIG and LGM periods. This suggests that the historical demography of C. versicolor is probably related not only to the paleoclimate of South China, but also to the geological restriction and specific habitat preferences of species.

Genetic Differentiation of Eastern Honey Bee (Apis cerana) Populations Across Qinghai-Tibet Plateau-Valley Landforms

“…cerana at 3,040 m reported here are consistent with previously reported observations (Zhu et al, 2017). Based on this information, it could be inferred that the upper limit of the hospitable zone for A. cerana does not exceed 3,500 m. The valleys that were chosen in this study are separated by mountains with elevations > 4,000 m, such as the Boshula and Taniantaweng Mountains (Liu et al, 2016; Yang et al, 2016). Two main environmental characteristics are specific for this area.…”

Phylogeography and genetic diversity of the widespread katydid Ducetia japonica (Thunberg, 1815) across China

“…Many extant species persisted in small ice-free refugial areas during LGM in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere (Yang et al, 2016). As the average test AUC value was higher than 0.85 for both current and LGM climate conditions, we assumed that the models generated reliable predictions.…”

“…To date, phylogeographic analyses have been conducted in many insects (Kindler et al, 2012;Li et al, 2019;Matenaar et al, 2018;Villalta et al, 2018). Most widely distributed species subdivided into distinct evolutionary lineages or cryptic species (Barry et al, 2013;Yang et al, 2016). In contrast, high dispersal potential, human transportation, or host dissemination can lead to the population homogeneity of few widely distributed species (Li et al, 2019;Loureiro et al, 2020;Zhang et al, 2017).…”

“…Most species retracted in small ice-free refugial areas in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere during the last glacial maximum (LGM, 0.015-0.025 Mya), and following a geographic expansion during the post-LGM period (Yang et al, 2016). In southwest China, mountains form a series of parallel alpine areas over 5,000 m above sea level, and altitude drop between mountaintops and valleys exceeds 2000 m. The complex topography of southwest China led to long-term geographic isolation.…”

“…In southwest China, mountains form a series of parallel alpine areas over 5,000 m above sea level, and altitude drop between mountaintops and valleys exceeds 2000 m. The complex topography of southwest China led to long-term geographic isolation. Several widely distributed insects exhibit high genetic variability and strong phylogeographic structure in China (Li et al, 2019;Yang et al, 2016).…”