Taxonomy and population genetics of the flightless moth genus, Pringleophaga in the sub-Antarctic

• Main Author: Groenewald, Catharina Wilhelmina
• Other Authors: Jansen van Vuuren, Bettine, Chown, Steven L., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science. Dept. of Botany and Zoology.
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2013
• Subjects: Flightless moth genus > Sub-Antarctic; Flightless moth population > Sub-Antarctic > (Taxonomy genetics); Pringleophaga > Sub-Antarctic; Phylogeny; UCTD; Antarctic; Heard Island; Îles Kerguelen; Indian; Kerguelen; McDonald Island; Antarc*; Îles Crozet; Marion Island; Prince Edward Islands; Prince Edward Island
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/79792

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sub-Antarctic Islands are of considerable conservation importance due to their high endemicity and unique ecosystems. Furthermore, the rich geological and glaciological histories of these islands provide a unique platform to study the biodiversity and biogeography of its biota. Sub-Antarctic islands are divided into three biogeographic regions; the South Indian Ocean Province includes the Prince Edward Islands, Îles Kerguelen, Îles Crozet, Heard Island and McDonald Island. One of the taxa that have long fascinated biogeographers and taxonomists alike is the flightless moth, genus Pringleophaga, which is endemic to the Kerguelen, Crozet and Prince Edward Islands. This study addressed three questions relating to the genus Pringleophaga at various spatial and evolutionary scales. The original Pringleophaga species' descriptions include only minor morphological differences between P. kerguelensis and P. marioni, with P. crozetensis being more diverse. Anomalies characterize their geographic distributions with P. kerguelensis recognized from Îles Kerguelen and Prince Edward but not from nearby Marion Island. Sequence data from two mitochondrial and two nuclear genes were compared for specimens from across Pringleophaga's range. Parsimony networks as well Bayesian topologies revealed three lineages which correspond to the species' morphological classification. Specimens from Îles Crozet (P. crozetensis) were not monophyletic. This may be because of misidentification of specimens or alternatively, highlight as yet undescribed diversity in the genus. Genetic data confirm the presence of P. marioni, but not P. kerguelensis, on Prince Edward Island. Marion Island’s rich glacial / volcanic history and complex geomorphology has been shown to affect the genetic structure of various arthropod species including springtails, mites and weevils. This study extends previous phylogeographic work by testing the spatial genetic structure in P. marioni in light of ...