Limited congruence in phylogeographic patterns observed for riverine predacious beetles sharing distribution along the mountain rivers

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 17883
• Main Authors: Kajtoch, Łukasz, Kolasa, Michał, Mazur, Miłosz A., Ścibior, Radosław, Zając, Krzysztof, Kubisz, Daniel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 19.10.2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/158/1745; 631/158/852; 631/181/457; Aquatic ecosystems; Arginine kinase; Carabidae; Coleoptera; Demography; Ecological adaptation; Genetic diversity; Haplotypes; Humanities and Social Sciences; Insect migration; Kinases; Metapopulations; Migratory species; multidisciplinary; Natural flow; Phylogeny; Phylogeography; Population genetics; River basins; Rivers; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Staphylinidae; Watercourses; Watersheds
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44922-w

Riverine predacious beetles (RPB) (Carabidae, Staphylinidae) are highly diverse and numerous elements of riverine ecosystems. Their historical and contemporary distribution and diversity are highly dependent on natural flow regimes and topography of watercourses. Despite broad knowledge of their ecology, data on population genetic diversity and connectivity are lacking. This study aimed to fill this gap in order to solve two principal hypotheses assuming (i) congruence of phylogeographic patterns observed for RPB indicating that they share a common history and the ecological adaptations to the dynamic environment, (ii) genetic structuration of populations according to river basins. The Carpathian populations of four ground beetles and three rove beetles were examined using cytochrome oxidase and arginine kinase sequencing. There are substantial differences in RPB demographic history and current genetic diversity. Star-like phylogeny of  Bembidion  and complex haplotype networks of  Paederus/Paederidus , with some haplotypes being drainage-specific and others found in distant populations, indicate a general lack of isolation by distance. Signs of recent demographic expansion were detected for most RPB with the latest population collapse for some rove beetles. To some extent, migration of examined species has to be limited by watersheds. Observed phylogeographic patterns are essential for correctly understanding RPB meta-population functioning.