Morphological and genetic variation in Cicindela lusitanica Mandl, 1935 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Cicindelinae): implications for conservation

Abstract

The establishment of taxonomic and geographical boundaries is a common problem when analysing clinal distributions. This is of particular concern when the assessment of intraspecific groupings is required for conservation management. The tiger beetle Cicindela lusitanica Mandl, 1935 (Coleoptera, Carabidae) is a typical case in which two recognised subspecies are distributed in a clinal latitudinal fashion in the dune systems along the Atlantic coast of Portugal. This habitat is increasingly under threat, and conservation measures are needed. We investigated the validity of the two named subspecies, based on a re-analysis of elytral and genitalic measurements using multivariate analysis. We also analysed variation in mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I gene for a total of six populations along the cline. Multivariate analysis supported the idea of a morphological cline and revealed a clear distinction of the southernmost population and also some degree of distinctiveness of the most northern populations, partially supporting the recognised subspecific ranking. The mtDNA analysis identified two main groups corresponding to northern and southern populations. Both sets of markers showed that variation within the C. lusitanica assemblage is complex, with the boundaries between morphological and mtDNA groups not in agreement. However, populations at either end of the distributional range are clearly distinct from each other, and should be considered as provisional units for conservation programmes.Record 57 of 654 in Zoological Record v.140 2004