TWO LINEAGES OF ORIBATID MITES MORPHOLOGICALLY CORESPOND TO THE CIRCUMPOLAR SPECIES <i>AMERONOTHRUS NIGROFEMORATUS</i> (ACARI, ORIBATIDA) BUT DIFFER GENETICALLY AS DISTINCT SPECIES ARE REVEALED ON THE KOLGUEV ISLAND

Abstract

Until recently, data on the genetic characteristics of the oribatid mite Ameronothrus nigrofemoratus have been reported only from the Northern Canada. Analysis of the partial cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI) mtDNA sequence of the mites from Kolguev Island that morphologically correspond to this species has revealed two highly divergent phylogenetic lineages of A. nigrofemoratus (divergence of 7%), neither of which was found on the Canadian coast. One lineage differs by four COI amino acid substitutions from North American A. nigrofemoratus. This corresponds to the degree of difference between A. nigrofemoratus and its sister species A. lineatus.