Intraspecific differentiation of Sino-Himalayan bush-dwelling Phylloscopus leaf warblers, with description of two new taxa (P. fuscatus, P. fuligiventer, P. affinis, P. armandii, P. subaffinis)

Abstract

We investigated external morphology, molecular genetics and bioacoustics of the Chinese leaf warblers Phylloscopus fuscatus, P. fuligiventer, P. affinis, P. armandii and P. subaffinis, a set of predominantly high-altitude species of open bushy habitats. Phylloscopus fuscatus and P. fuligiventer were found to be sister taxa; the current subspecies of P. fuscatus appeared to be paraphyletic. P. fuscatus weigoldi (Qinghai) is excluded from P. fuscatus and transferred to P. fuligiventer as a subspecies (formerly E Himalayas/SE Tibet only). Several individuals of nominate fuscatus carrying private haplotypes were found in China during the breeding season and may locally breed there (Shaanxi, Gansu). Genotyping of type specimens of P. fuscatus robustus yielded a composite type series including nominate fuscatus. A lectotype of taxon robustus is designated since the holotype was lost in World War II. – Phylloscopus affinis falls into three distinct population groups which differ by exhibiting marked molecular genetic distance values, in coloration and in vocalisations. Central Asian Phylloscopus griseolus is firmly nested in the P. affinis clade. The Himalayan (incl. SE Tibet) populations of P. affinis on the one hand and the Chinese populations (Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu) on the other are differentiated on the species level. For the latter populations a new name is introduced (P. occisinensis nov. sp.). The Himalayan population group itself is subdivided into a western (P. affinis perfl avus nov. ssp.) and an eastern group (nominate affinis). – Phylloscopus armandii generally is subdivided into a larger northern (nominate armandii) and a smaller southern Chinese population (ssp. perplexus). Their cytb and 16S distance values are remarkably high but subspecies status is retained because of only subtle morphological differences and a lack of acoustic divergence. – Phylloscopus subaffinis is unstructured with respect to cytb and 16S genes throughout China.