Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Bitlis Eren Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, cilt.13, sa.2, ss.474-481, 2024 (Hakemli Dergi)
Among the Palearctic species, butterflies of the genus Melanargia are known
for their black and white wing patterns. The morphological character
polarization of this genus is full of varying combinations of subgenus,
species complex, and subspecies status. Its taxonomy is open to debate,
especially in species and subspecies categories, with definitions mostly based
on wing color. In recent years, cryptic species, phenotypically masked
species, and species with intense intraspecific variation have been identified
through the determination of lineages under the leadership of molecular
systematics. The mtCOI gene, which is especially described as a species
signature, is an important DNA barcode used for Lepidoptera.
In the presented study, the mtCOI gene sequence of the populations
of Melanargia larissa, M.grumi, M.hylata, M.syriaca, and M.russiae species
in the South-eastern Anatolia region was determined for the first time. To
determine the boundaries of these species, gene characterization and genetic
distances were carried out according to the Kimura-2 Parameter, and putative
species analyses were carried out by the ABGD method. Trees were
constructed with Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference algorithms to
determine the phylogenetic relationships between species of the genus. In
light of these analyses, it has been shown that the genetic distance of
morphological species M. larissa, M. grumi, M.hylata, and M. syriaca is not
at the species level and that M.larissa maintains its species status according
to the principle of priority. In addition, the M.russiae population presented
in this study forms a monophyletic clade with other populations of the same
species in the phylogenetic tree, proving that this taxon is a distinct species.