Abstract
Recent work on terrestrial isopods has shown that morphospecies can have a high degree of genetic diversity. We conducted a molecular phylogenetic study of Spherillo grossus (Budde-Lund, 1885), a terrestrial isopod endemic to the east coast of Australia. We sequenced the mitochondrial 16S rDNA gene of 63 specimens from 12 collection localities. From a subset of these specimens, we also sequenced the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and nuclear 18S rDNA genes. Deep mitochondrial divergences were found among groups of individuals (with p-distances up to 15, 14, and 0.7% for 16S, COI, and 18S respectively), a pattern consistent with the hypothesis that gene flow between populations has been influenced by the fragmentation of Australia's mesic environment since the Miocene. We also found evidence of human-mediated dispersal of S. grossus. Scanning electron and light microscopy of a subset of samples provide preliminary evidence that S. grossus is morphologically homogeneous. Our results mirror those found in studies of oniscid isopods from the Northern Hemisphere. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London
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