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Contrasting genetic structure in cuckoo and predatory Maculinea butterflies

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Abstract

In Europe, both Maculinea alcon and M. teleius frequently co-occur inhabiting humid meadows. Although their parasitic life cycle is similar, ecological differences have been demonstrated between them: (i) spatial distribution of their eggs is different, and (ii) M. alcon is a cuckoo species, while M. teleius is predatory. The aim of the present study is to identify the genetic consequences of the ecological differences between these two butterfly species. To do so, we studied the genetic structure in samples from 9 M. alcon and 16 M. teleius sites obtained from the Carpathian Basin using 16 polymorphic enzyme markers. Both species exhibited relatively low enzyme polymorphism compared to other lycaenid species. Nevertheless, all measures of variation were significantly higher in M. teleius than in M. alcon. Genetic differentiation, however, was generally higher among M. alcon populations as compared to M. teleius. Moreover, the results of Bayesian clustering indicated a clear regional pattern with three well-defined cluster regions in M. alcon. In contrast, the regional pattern was less evident in M. teleius where we found three comparatively less distinct cluster regions. Putatively adaptive genetic differences were detected among cluster regions exploiting different host ants in M. alcon, while they were less evident in M. teleius. These results conform to our predictions on the differences between the utilization of their host ants. Since the pattern of genetic differentiation is different in the two Maculinea species, conservation strategies need also to differ in their cases.

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported by the MacMan EVK2-CT-2001-00126, NKFP-3 B/023/2004 and OTKA K84071, K109223 projects. Prof. L. Rákosy effectively supported our field work in Transylvania. J. V. Sipos, L. Peregovits, S. Szabó and P. Kozma contributed to the Maculinea sampling at several sites. The technical assistance of V. Mester in the electrophoretic work is very much respected. The useful comments of Z. Végvári and P. Orozco ter Wengel are greatly valued. The support of the Nature Conservation Authorities of Hungary is highly appreciated. AT was supported by a Marie Curie Intra European Fellowship within the 7th European Community Framework Programme, by a Marie Curie Career Integration Grant within the 7th European Community Framework Programme and AT and BJ were supported by János Bolyai Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

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  1. Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary

    Katalin Pecsenye, Judit Bereczki, Edit Juhász, András Tartally & Zoltán Varga

  2. MTA-DE “Lendület” Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem ter 1, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary

    Judit Bereczki

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  1. Katalin Pecsenye
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Correspondence to Katalin Pecsenye.

Appendix

Appendix

See Tables 5, 6 and 7.

Table 5 Maculinea alcon (A) and M. teleius (B) sample sites
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Table 6 Measures of polymorphism in the Hungarian populations of Maculinea alcon (M. alc.) and M. teleius (M. tel.)
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Table 7 Summary results of Structure
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Pecsenye, K., Bereczki, J., Juhász, E. et al. Contrasting genetic structure in cuckoo and predatory Maculinea butterflies. Conserv Genet 16, 939–954 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-015-0713-5

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