| Species diversity of the genus Hygrobates (Acariformes, Hydrachnidia, Hygrobatidae), based on molecular evidence. |
| Paper ID : 1042-IPCA4 (R1) |
| Authors: |
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Aleksandra Bańkowska1, Vladimir Pesic2, Mirosława Dabert3, Alireza Saboori *4, Andrzej Zawal5 1Institute of Biology, Center of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology,University of Szczecin, Wąska 13, 71–415 Szczecin, Poland 2Department of Biology, University of Montenegro, Cetinjski put b.b., 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro 3Molecular Biology Techniques Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland 4Dept. Plant Protection, Col. Aric., Univ. Tehran 5Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Center of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Szczecin, Wąska 13, 71–415 Szczecin, Poland |
| Abstract: |
| The Hygrobatidae family includes, inter alia, two closely related genera Atractides Koch, 1836 and Hygrobates Koch, 1837. They are widespread and associated mainly with running waters. The genera differ substantially in species diversity, at least as it may be estimated by morphological features, with the genus Atractides being much richer in species than Hygrobates. These differences, in the number of species, are all the more puzzling as the genus with a wider environmental distribution contains fewer species. Species of the genus Atractides are almost exclusively rheobiotic and reophilic or, occasionally crenophilic, while Hygrobates inhabit not only running waters and springs, but also standing waters. In the light of recent molecular studies, the species diversity of Hygrobates has increased by 9 species (H. arenarius Smit & Pešić, 2017, H. corsicus Pešić & Smit, 2017, H. marezaensis Pešić & Dabert, 2017, H. persicus , H. turcicus, H. balcanicus, H. mediterraneus, H. ulii and H. grabowskii) in the complex Hygrobates fluviatilis; by two (H. limnocrenicus and H. lacrimae) in the Hygrobates nigromaculatus complex and by one (H. prosiliens) in the Hygrobates longipalpis complex. Apart from the species complexes mentioned above, two new species were detected with the use of DNA barcoding method. They are currently being described. Species diversity is clearly related to geographical diversity, therefore it can be suspected that there will be even more cryptic or pseudo-cryptic species in the Hygrobates genus. This confirms the legitimacy of further research in this matter. |
| Keywords: |
| Cryptic species; DNA barcoding; geographical diversity; pseudo-cryptic species; species diversity. |
| Status : Abstract Accepted (Poster Presentation) |
