2nd International Workshop on Conservation Biology

Possible links between molecular data and morphological ecotypes in False ringlet, Coenonympha oedippus (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) at the southern distribution limit

Not scheduled

UP FAMNIT, Koper, Slovenia

Speaker

Mrs Sara Zupan (University of Primorska)

Description

Populations of False ringlet, Coenonympha oedippus is one of most endangered species in European butterfly fauna and continue to decline severely. False ringlet is a habitat specialist and it requires rich fens, wet meadows (with purple moor grass and sedges), grassy forest clearings, light beech forests, overgrown dry grasslands, forest steppe and steppe. In Slovenia, False Ringlet has disjunct distribution and its populations are ecologically linked to two very distinctive habitats, to the overgrowing dry grasslands (SW Slovenia, more geographically dispersed and with lower population abundances) and hygrophilous populations in Central Slovenia, with higher abundances. Appearance in two radically different habitat types their geographic isolation between (dry-wet) as well as within (dry) the two types of habitats led us to inspect for possible genetic and morphological differentiation among and within these populations in order to prepare a solid ground for more detailed studies of ecotypes in the future. We compared 26 morphometric characters in fore and hindwings for over 200 specimens from entire distribution area in Slovenia originated mainly from collection in the Natural History Museum of Slovenia (PMS) and the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU). For the comparison 8 additional specimens from wet habitat in Austria were used in morphometric analysis. Multivariate statistical analysis showed significant differences that could be possibly linked to different ecotypes from wet and dry meadows. Most prominent were differences in size, coloration and shape, with in average smaller and darker animals in dry habitats from SW Slovenia. These differences should represent a phenotypic manifestation of adaptation to local environmental conditions. Furthermore, genetic analysis of three genetic markers (COI, 434 bp; 12S rRNA, 564 bp; EF-1α; 551 bp) showed interesting haplotype structure in all three Slovenian regions. Although the genetic differentiation is not in complete congruence with clear morphological differences, some populations exhibit unique haplotypes, showing that some local differences in morphology could be at least partly assigned to the unique genetic makeup and became clear as a result of the adaptations to local habitats. This preliminary data are indispensable for conservation and management with species.