Exploring species-level taxonomy in the Cryptocephalus flavipes species complex (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
In insects, morphological species identification is often challenging. The discrimination of closely related species may be hampered when only subtle differences in phenotypic characters or a continuum in their variability are present. This is exemplified in the Cryptocephalus flavipes species complex (Coleoptera; Chrysomelidae) where, until now, the species have been discriminated only by the yellow pattern on frons, pronotum, and epipleurae. In the present study, the phylogeny of the C. flavipes species complex was resolved through a multi-locus sequence approach, and the inclusion in the group of the phenotypically similar Cryptocephalus quadripustulatus Gyllenhal, 1813 was evaluated. Su…
Biogeography and ecology of geographically distant populations of sibling Cryptocephalus leaf beetles
Different populations of two closely related species, Cryptocephalusflavipes and C. bameuli, from western (Alps, Apennines and Pyrenees) and central Europe (Poland, Ukraine and Pannonia) were analysed. On the basis of DNA sequences from two genes, cox1 and ef1-alpha, distinctiveness of both species was confirmed. Nevertheless, possible hybrids were identified in Carpathian mountains. We found a significant genetic differentiation among populations of C. flavipes and C. bameuli from distant regions but a high genetic similarity between populations of C. bameuli from north and south of the Carpathians. Demographic estimates suggest a past population expansion in the case of C. bameuli and a r…