Molecular and Morphological Analyses Support Different Taxonomic Units for Asian and Australo-Pacific Forms of <i>Ischnura aurora</i> (Odonata, Coenagrionidae)
Despite the great technological progress that has aided taxonomical identification, taxonomical issues remain for certain species found in remote and/or understudied geographical areas. The damselfly species <i>Ischnura aurora</i> has been the subject of a long-standing taxonomical debat...
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MDPI AG
2022-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/8/606 |
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| author | M. Olalla Lorenzo-Carballa Iago Sanmartín-Villar Adolfo Cordero-Rivera |
| author_facet | M. Olalla Lorenzo-Carballa Iago Sanmartín-Villar Adolfo Cordero-Rivera |
| author_sort | M. Olalla Lorenzo-Carballa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite the great technological progress that has aided taxonomical identification, taxonomical issues remain for certain species found in remote and/or understudied geographical areas. The damselfly species <i>Ischnura aurora</i> has been the subject of a long-standing taxonomical debate, focused mainly on the existence of morphological and behavioural differences between Asian and Australo-Pacific forms of this species that could justify their placement into two different species. Here, we carried out a comparative morphological analysis of specimens currently identified as <i>I. rubilio</i> from India and <i>I. aurora</i> from Asia and Oceania, combined with the analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data, both developed by us and available in public repositories. Our results split the Asian and Australo-Pacific forms of <i>I. aurora</i> into two well-differentiated taxonomic units and, hence, different (albeit closely related) species, and support the specific status of <i>I. rubilio</i>. The results of our genetic analyses suggest the existence of a third (and even fourth) taxonomic unit, stressing the need to revise all available material belonging to the different <i>I. aurora</i> subspecies that have been described. Finally, we have identified several questionable DNA sequences currently available in public repositories, upon which previous conclusions about the phylogenetic position of <i>I. rubilio</i> are based. Our study stresses the importance of being able to link available DNA sequence data with voucher specimens as well as to carry out a careful examination of DNA sequence data prior to their inclusion in taxonomical studies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:32:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-60065b56dd1f463cb8990d199804a837 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:32:52Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-60065b56dd1f463cb8990d199804a8372023-12-03T13:32:34ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182022-07-0114860610.3390/d14080606Molecular and Morphological Analyses Support Different Taxonomic Units for Asian and Australo-Pacific Forms of <i>Ischnura aurora</i> (Odonata, Coenagrionidae)M. Olalla Lorenzo-Carballa0Iago Sanmartín-Villar1Adolfo Cordero-Rivera2ECOEVO Lab, Escola de Enxeñaría Forestal, Campus A Xunqueira, Universidade de Vigo, 36005 Pontevedra, SpainECOEVO Lab, Escola de Enxeñaría Forestal, Campus A Xunqueira, Universidade de Vigo, 36005 Pontevedra, SpainECOEVO Lab, Escola de Enxeñaría Forestal, Campus A Xunqueira, Universidade de Vigo, 36005 Pontevedra, SpainDespite the great technological progress that has aided taxonomical identification, taxonomical issues remain for certain species found in remote and/or understudied geographical areas. The damselfly species <i>Ischnura aurora</i> has been the subject of a long-standing taxonomical debate, focused mainly on the existence of morphological and behavioural differences between Asian and Australo-Pacific forms of this species that could justify their placement into two different species. Here, we carried out a comparative morphological analysis of specimens currently identified as <i>I. rubilio</i> from India and <i>I. aurora</i> from Asia and Oceania, combined with the analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data, both developed by us and available in public repositories. Our results split the Asian and Australo-Pacific forms of <i>I. aurora</i> into two well-differentiated taxonomic units and, hence, different (albeit closely related) species, and support the specific status of <i>I. rubilio</i>. The results of our genetic analyses suggest the existence of a third (and even fourth) taxonomic unit, stressing the need to revise all available material belonging to the different <i>I. aurora</i> subspecies that have been described. Finally, we have identified several questionable DNA sequences currently available in public repositories, upon which previous conclusions about the phylogenetic position of <i>I. rubilio</i> are based. Our study stresses the importance of being able to link available DNA sequence data with voucher specimens as well as to carry out a careful examination of DNA sequence data prior to their inclusion in taxonomical studies.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/8/606Zygopteradamselflyintegrative taxonomyspecies delineationbarcodingmorphological analysis |
| spellingShingle | M. Olalla Lorenzo-Carballa Iago Sanmartín-Villar Adolfo Cordero-Rivera Molecular and Morphological Analyses Support Different Taxonomic Units for Asian and Australo-Pacific Forms of <i>Ischnura aurora</i> (Odonata, Coenagrionidae) Diversity Zygoptera damselfly integrative taxonomy species delineation barcoding morphological analysis |
| title | Molecular and Morphological Analyses Support Different Taxonomic Units for Asian and Australo-Pacific Forms of <i>Ischnura aurora</i> (Odonata, Coenagrionidae) |
| title_full | Molecular and Morphological Analyses Support Different Taxonomic Units for Asian and Australo-Pacific Forms of <i>Ischnura aurora</i> (Odonata, Coenagrionidae) |
| title_fullStr | Molecular and Morphological Analyses Support Different Taxonomic Units for Asian and Australo-Pacific Forms of <i>Ischnura aurora</i> (Odonata, Coenagrionidae) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Molecular and Morphological Analyses Support Different Taxonomic Units for Asian and Australo-Pacific Forms of <i>Ischnura aurora</i> (Odonata, Coenagrionidae) |
| title_short | Molecular and Morphological Analyses Support Different Taxonomic Units for Asian and Australo-Pacific Forms of <i>Ischnura aurora</i> (Odonata, Coenagrionidae) |
| title_sort | molecular and morphological analyses support different taxonomic units for asian and australo pacific forms of i ischnura aurora i odonata coenagrionidae |
| topic | Zygoptera damselfly integrative taxonomy species delineation barcoding morphological analysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/8/606 |
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