Michela Maura

One Species, Three Pleistocene Evolutionary Histories: Phylogeography of the Italian Crested Newt, Triturus carnifex

Phylogeographic patterns of temperate species from the Mediterranean peninsulas have been investigated intensively. Nevertheless, as more phylogeographies become available, either unique patterns or new lines of concordance continue to emerge, providing new insights on the evolution of regional biotas. Here, we investigated the phylogeography and evolutionary history of the Italian crested newt, Triturus carnifex, through phylogenetic, molecular dating and population structure analyses of two mitochondrial gene fragments (ND2 and ND4; overall 1273 bp). We found three main mtDNA lineages having parapatric distribution and estimated divergence times between Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene. One lineage (S) was widespread south of the northern Apennine chain and was further geographically structured into five sublineages, likely of Middle Pleistocene origin. The second lineage (C) was widespread throughout the Padano–Venetian plain and did not show a clear phylogeographic structure. The third lineage (N) was observed in only two populations located on western Croatia/Slovenia. Results of analysis of molecular variance suggested that partitioning populations according to the geographic distribution of these lineages and sublineages explains 76% of the observed genetic variation. The phylogeographic structure observed within T. carnifex and divergence time estimates among its lineages, suggest that responses to Pleistocene environmental changes in this single species have been as diverse as those found previously among several codistributed temperate species combined. Consistent with the landscape heterogeneity, physiographic features, and palaeogeographical evolution of its distribution range, these responses encompass multiple refugia along the Apennine chain, lowland refugia in large peri-coastal plains, and a ‘cryptic’ northern refugium.

Phylogenetic systematics of Mylabris blister beetles (Coleoptera, Meloidae): a molecular assessment using species trees and total evidence

Mylabris is a diverse genus of Meloidae and includes over 170 species throughout the Palaearctic region, classified into 14 subgenera. The current classification is largely built on taxonomic works pre‐dating the application of cladistic methods and based on a few morphological characters. In the present study, we use molecular data from mitochondrial and nuclear loci sampled across Mylabrini to assess the monophyly of Mylabris and its subgenera, and to identify which diagnostic morphological characters used for taxa delimitation represent synapomorphic features. We obtain a robust phylogeny which is consistent across datasets (3‐, 4‐ and 5‐gene datasets), methods (Bayesian vs. Maximum Parsimony), and approaches (species tree vs. total evidence). The genus Mylabris is monophyletic provided that Pseudabris is included and Ammabris is excluded. Most of the morphology‐based subgenera are recovered as well‐supported phylogenetic clades. Although previous classifications based on number and shape of antennomeres were confounded by convergent evolution of these traits, mesosternal and male genitalia features provided unambiguous apomorphies of Mylabrini genera and subgenera. We integrate these insights into an updated phylogenetic systematics of Mylabris and Mylabrini blister beetles, and we provide the description of two new subgenera, Dvorabris and Pardabris.