Abstract
In this work, we compare morphological and molecular data in their ability to distinguish between species of water mites (Acari, Prostigmata, Hydrachnidia). We have focused on the two species of the genus Lebertia inhabiting the island of Madeira. While traditional morphological traits were initially sufficient to distinguish between these two species, the molecular data were more dependable on the kind of analysis carried out. Single arbitrary genetic distance (e.g. a K2P distance below 2%) may lead to the conclusion that the specimens under study belong to the same species. Analysing the same specimens with the coalescent model has proved the evolutionary independence of both Lebertia clades in Madeira. Furthermore, multi-rate Poisson Tree Process analysis confirmed both lineages as independent species. Our results agree with previous studies warning of the dangers of rigid species delimitation based on arbitrary molecular distances. In addition, the importance of different molecular data approaches for correct species delimitation in water mites is highlighted.
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Acknowledgements
The three authors have read and contributed to all sections of the manuscript. Bruno GV Vaticón revised the English. We are grateful for a Synthesys grant to AGV to study Lundblad collection at Stockholm Museum Natural History where Gunvi Lindberg, curator of Invertebrates was very helpful and understanding. This work was carried out at the Systematics Laboratory of the MNCN. JLH was supported by a Spanish MINECO postdoc Grant FPDI-2013-16116.
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García-Jiménez, R., Horreo, J.L. & Valdecasas, A.G. Minimal barcode distance between two water mite species from Madeira Island: a cautionary tale. Exp Appl Acarol 72, 133–143 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-017-0147-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-017-0147-5