Deep intraspecific DNA barcode splits and hybridisation in the Udea alpinalis group (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Crambidae) – an integrative revision

Abstract

The analysis of mitochondrial COI data for the European-Centroasian montane <i>Udea alpinalis</i> species group finds deep intraspecific splits. Specimens of <i>U. austriacalis</i> and <i>U. rhododendronalis</i> separate into several biogeographical groups. These allopatric groups are not recovered in the analyses of the two nuclear markers wingless and Elongation factor 1-alpha, except for <i>U. austriacalis</i> from the Pyrenees and the French Massif Central. The latter populations are also morphologically distinct and conspecific with <i>Scopula donzelalis</i> Guenée, 1854, which is removed from synonymy and reinstated as <i>Udea donzelalis</i> (Guenée, 1854) <b>stat. rev.</b> Furthermore, <i>Udea altaica</i> (Zerny, 1914), <b>stat. n.</b> from the Mongolian central Altai mountains, <i>U. juldusalis</i> (Zerny, 1914), <b>stat. n.</b> from the Tian Shan mountains of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and NW China, and <i>U. plumbalis</i> (Zerny, 1914), <b>stat. n.</b> from the Sayan Mountains of Northern Mongolia are raised to species level, and lectotypes are designated. Evidence of introgression of <i>U. alpinalis</i> into <i>U. uliginosalis</i> at three localities in the Central Alps is presented. A screening for <i>Wolbachia</i> using the markers wsp, gatB and ftsZ was negative for the <i>U. alpinalis</i> species group, but <i>Wolbachia</i> was found in single specimens of <i>U. fulvalis</i> and <i>U. olivalis</i> (both in the <i>U. numeralis</i> species group). We do not find evidence for the conjecture of several authors of additional subspecies in <i>U. rhododendronalis</i>, and synonymise <i>U. rhododendronalis luquetalis</i> Leraut, 1996, <b>syn. n.</b> and <i>U. r. ventosalis</i> Leraut, 1996, <b>syn. n.</b> with the nominal <i>U. rhododendronalis</i> (Duponchel, 1834).