Species Delineation of Malaysian Mangrove Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) using DNA Barcodes

Identification and revision of firefly species are largely based on morphological characteristics. Subsequently, female firefly specimens have been neglected in taxonomic inventories because morphological descriptions relied only on male firefly specimens. In light of successful DNA barcoding in man...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Coleopterists bulletin 2014-12, Vol.68 (4), p.703-711
Main Authors: Jusoh, Wan F. A, Hashim, Nor Rasidah, Sääksjärvi, Ilari E, Adam, Nur Azura, Wahlberg, Niklas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bar codes
Beetles
Biological taxonomies
Coleoptera
DNA
DNA barcoding
Ecological genetics
Female animals
females
Fireflies
genetic variation
inventories
invertebrates
Lampyridae
Larvae
Male animals
males
Peninsular Malaysia
Polymerase chain reaction
Pteroptyx
riparian forests
Sarawak
species identification
Specimens
taxonomy
technology
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Summary:Identification and revision of firefly species are largely based on morphological characteristics. Subsequently, female firefly specimens have been neglected in taxonomic inventories because morphological descriptions relied only on male firefly specimens. In light of successful DNA barcoding in many invertebrates, this study explored the potential of DNA barcoding to complement morphological identification of fireflies in Malaysia. Firefly specimens were collected from riparian forests (including mangroves) in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak. Specimens were morphologically examined, and their DNA was extracted for molecular analysis. The morphological data of the male specimens was found to be congruent with molecular data, i.e., both indicated 12 species. However, inclusion of females and larvae in the DNA analysis increased the species count to 14 species. We also found distinct geographically structured variations in the DNA barcodes of two species: Pteroptyx tener Olivier and Pteroptyx bearni Olivier. The study indicates that firefly species delimitation using traditional taxonomic knowledge and new technology like DNA barcoding are compatible, therefore increasing the reliability of species identification.
ISSN:0010-065X
1938-4394
DOI:10.1649/0010-065X-68.4.703