"DNA barcoding" is of limited value for identifying adelgids (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) but supports traditional morphological taxonomy

• Published in: European journal of entomology Vol. 107; no. 2; pp. 147 - 156
• Main Authors: ŽUROVCOVÁ, Martina, HAVELKA, Jan, STARÝ, Petr, VĚCHTOVÁ, Pavlína, CHUNDELOVÁ, Daniela, JAROŠOVÁ, Andrea, KUČEROVÁ, Lucie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ceske Budejovice Institute of Entomology 01.01.2010; Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science
• Subjects: Adelgidae; aphids; Bayesian analysis; COI protein; Cytochrome-c oxidase; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; dna barcoding; Genetics; Hemiptera; Methods; Mitochondria; Phylloxeridae; species identification; systematics; Taxonomy; Trees
• ISSN: 1210-5759; 1802-8829
• DOI: 10.14411/eje.2010.020

The sequence diversity in the mitochondrial cytochrome-c oxidase I (COI) gene was evaluated as a tool for resolving differences among species of European adelgids collected from several localities across the Czech Republic. Members of 7 genera and 16 species were examined, and as outgroups, two species of Phylloxeridae were used. Sequence divergences within species were on average less than 0.15%, whereas divergences between species ranged from 0.0 to 4.12% for congeneric and to 13.24% for intergeneric comparisons. It is concluded that DNA barcoding of Adelgidae is a powerful tool for identifying genera, but at the species level it works only in those cases where there are no species complexes. Nevertheless, it can be used as a complement to traditional, morphological taxonomy. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]