The encounter of distinct Morimus asper (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) phylogeographic lineages on the Balkan Peninsula: conservation implications

Gojković, Nemanja; Ludoški, Jasmina; Milankov, Vesna

The encounter of distinct Morimus asper (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) phylogeographic lineages on the Balkan Peninsula: conservation implications

2022

Gojković, Nemanja | Ludoški, Jasmina | Milankov, Vesna

The first step in monitoring and management of any taxa includes resolving taxonomic ambiguities which complicate the identification of its management units. One of the long-standing issues in saproxylic beetle taxonomy includes the case of Morimus asper (Sulzer, 1776) species complex, which comprises several protected taxa. An integrative approach based on multilocus genetic markers and geometric morphometric assessment of phenotypic characters was applied on Serbian populations of M. asper complex members and compared to published data to determine the existence of separate conservation units. The results indicate the existence of at least two evolutionarily and demographically distinct groups within M. asper complex on the Balkan Peninsula. We discuss the discordance between delimitation based on traditional morphological characters and the one rooted in novel genetic and geometric morphometric data. IMPLICATIONS FOR INSECT CONSERVATION: With the emphasis on dead wood protection and regulation in forest ecosystems suffering from intense commercial exploitation, distinct lineages within M. asper taxonomic complex on the Balkan Peninsula should still be protected in the same manner for now, until the key missing points necessary for the improvement of the complex management are addressed in the future studies.

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