Inferring Population History of Tiger Beetle Species of Sri Lanka using Mitochondrial DNA Sequences

Abstract

Tiger beetles are an important insect group in Sri Lanka due to their high species richness and endemicity. The present study investigated the distribution of tiger beetle species populations in Sri Lanka and history of species populations. Distribution was studied by conducting extensive field work that recorded the locations, habitat types and habitat preferences of tiger beetle species. DNA sequence data of three mitochondrial genes were used to study the history of species populations. The genetic indices: haplotype diversity, nucleotide diversity and Tajima’s D statistic were computed using DNA sequence data. The study revealed the distribution of ten tiger beetle species of Sri Lanka and their habitat types. According to genetic indices the tiger beetles of Sri Lanka are single species populations that consist of subpopulations distributed in locations that are not separated by major geographical barriers. There is a high probability that all species are experiencing population expansion after either habitat displacement by other tiger beetle species, expansion of suitable new habitats and natural disasters.Ceylon Journal of Science (Bio. Sci.) 43 (2): 47-63, 2014