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  • Joanna Redihough
    Cardiff University
  • Isa-Rita M. Russo
    Cardiff University
  • Alan Stewart
    School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK
  • Igor Malenovský
    Masaryk University, Brno
  • Jen Stockdale
    Cardiff University
  • Rosemary Moorhouse-Gann
    Cardiff University
  • Michael Wilson
    Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum of Wales, Cardiff
  • W.O.C. Symondson
    Cardiff University
The subfamily Aphrodinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) contains ~33 species in Europe within four genera. Species in two genera in particular, Aphrodes and Anoscopus, have proved to be difficult to distinguish morphologically. Our aim was to determine the status of the putative species Anoscopus duffieldi, found only on the RSPB Nature Reserve at Dungeness, Kent, a possible rare UK endemic. DNA from samples of all seven UK Anoscopus species (plus Anoscopus alpinus from the Czech Republic) were sequenced using parts of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I and 16S rRNA genes. Bayesian inference phylogenies were created. Specimens of each species clustered into monophyletic groups, except for Anoscopus albifrons, A. duffieldi and Anoscopus limicola. Two A. albifrons specimens grouped with A. duffieldi repeatedly with strong support, and the remaining A. albifrons clustered within A. limicola. Genetic distances suggest that A. albifrons and A. limicola are a single interbreeding population (0% divergence), while A. albifrons and A. duffieldi diverged by only 0.28%. Shared haplotypes between A. albifrons, A. limicola and A. duffieldi strongly suggest interbreeding, although misidentification may also explain these topologies. However, all A. duffieldi clustered together in the trees. A conservative approach might be to treat A. duffieldi, until other evidence is forthcoming, as a possible endemic subspecies.
Original languageEnglish
JournalInsects
Volume11
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 13 Nov 2020
Externally publishedYes

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