Integrative taxonomy of two morphologically similar species of the subgenus Cryobius Chaudoir, 1838 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Pterostichus Bonelli, 1810) from northern Eurasia and North America

Abstract

In this study, we synonymized Pterostichus (Cryobius) kolymensis Erjiomin, 1998 with P. (C.) mandibularoides Ball, 1966 by an integrative approach. Geometric morphometric analysis revealed no obvious differences in the shape of the pronotum and median lobe of the aedeagus between P. (C.) mandibularoides and P. (C.) kolymensis. According to DNA analysis, all examined specimens belong to P. (C.) mandibularoides with 11 unique haplotypes of COI from northern Canada, USA (Alaska) and Russia (Yakutia, Chukotka and Wrangel Island) and 1 haplotype of 28S rDNA from northern Eurasia (Russia). The median-joining haplotype network and the uncorrected COI p-distance values between different geographic populations of P. (C.) mandibularoides suggest the trans-Beringian origin of the species and its subsequent dispersal across North America and northern Eurasia is the most likely scenario of the biogeographic history of the species.