Abstract
The genus Notiophilus Duméril, 1806 is a distinctive taxon of small, diurnal and morphologically similar beetles exhibiting large eyes and widened second elytral intervals. In this study we analysed the effectiveness of DNA barcodes to discriminate 67 specimens that represent 8 species of Notiophilus from Central Europe. Interspecific K2P distances below 2.2% were found for N.biguttatus (Fabricius, 1779) and N.quadripunctatus Dejean, 1826, whereas intraspecific distances with values > 2.2% were revealed for N.rufipes Curtis, 1829. An additional phylogenetic analysis of all available species revealed a close relationship of N.directus Casey, 1920, N.semistriatus Say, 1823, N.simulator Fall, 1906 and N.sylvaticus Dejean, 1831, possibly indicating a radiation of these species in North America. Low support values of most other nodes, however, do not allow additional phylogenetic conclusions.
Highlights
The Carabidae or ground beetles are a huge cosmopolitan family with an estimated number of more than 40,000 species worldwide (Lindroth 1985, Lorenz 2005)
Interspecific Kimura-2-parameter distances (K2P) distances below 2.2% were found for N. biguttatus (Fabricius, 1779) and N. quadripunctatus Dejean, 1826, whereas intraspecific distances with values > 2.2% were revealed for N. rufipes Curtis, 1829
An additional phylogenetic analysis of all available species revealed a close relationship of N. directus Casey, 1920, N. semistriatus Say, 1823, N. simulator Fall, 1906 and N. sylvaticus Dejean, 1831, possibly indicating a radiation of these species in North America
Summary
The Carabidae or ground beetles are a huge cosmopolitan family with an estimated number of more than 40,000 species worldwide (Lindroth 1985, Lorenz 2005). As part of its subfamily Nebriinae, the tribe Notiophilini Motschulsky 1850 is a relatively small taxon that includes only one genus: Notiophilus Duméril, 1806. This genus is one of the more distinctive genera of Carabidae. Many species exhibit wing dimorphism with macropterous (long-winged) and brachypterous (short-winged) morphs (Lindroth 1986, Chapman et al 2005). Beetles of this genus are diurnal, sun-loving insects and very rapid in their movements.
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