Original scientific paper

Novel morphological and genetic markers for the discrimination of three European Pityokteines (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) species

MILAN PERNEK orcid.org/0000-0001-8200-6913 ; Forest Research Institute, Jastrebarsko, Cvjetno naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia
DIMITRIOS N. AVTZIS orcid.org/0000-0002-7772-6892 ; Institute of Forest Entomology, Forest Pathology and Forest Protection, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Boku, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, 1190 Vienna, Austria
BORIS HRAŠOVEC ; Faculty of Forestry, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb
DANKO DIMINIC ; Faculty of Forestry, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb
RUDOLF WEGENSTEINER ; Institute of Forest Entomology, Forest Pathology and Forest Protection, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Boku, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, 1190 Vienna, Austria
CHRISTIAN STAUFFER ; Institute of Forest Entomology, Forest Pathology and Forest Protection, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Boku, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, 1190 Vienna, Austria
ANTONY I. COGNATO ; Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, U.S.A.

Abstract

Background and Purpose: The three palearctic species Pityokteines
spinidens, P. curvidens and P. vorontzowi are main pests on Abies species and their impact on Abies stands is increasing. As the three scolytid species, particularly females, are difficult to distinguish, this study aimed to find additional morphological characters for identification. Further, part of the mitochondrial COI gene was sequenced to develop a significant barcode marker for future use.

Material and Methods: All three bark beetle species were collected from logs in Croatia (Litori} and Trako{}an), in order to quantify the number of strial and interstrial punctures. Insect DNA was extracted and PCR products were purified, directly sequenced, aligned and analyzed by MP analysis and Bayesian analysis.

Results and Conclusion: The number of punctures in the first and second interstriae between the elytral base and the sutural tubercle proved to be a valuable tool for the differentiation of P. spinidens from P. curvidens and P. vorontzowi. This morphological feature was consistent with the number of punctures which varied for the first and the second interstriae in P. spinidens compared to P. curvidens and P. vorontzowi. The mitochondrial COI gene provided another means in the discrimination of Pityokteines species, revealing that P. curvidens and P. vorontzowi are sister species.

Keywords

Bark beetles; silver fir; morphology; mtDNA

Hrčak ID:

35933

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/35933

Publication date:

31.12.2008.

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