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Exploring the Leaf Beetle Fauna (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of an Ecuadorian Mountain Forest Using DNA Barcoding.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Tropical mountain forests are hotspots of biodiversity hosting a huge but little known diversity of insects that is endangered by habitat destruction and climate change. Therefore, rapid assessment approaches of insect diversity are urgently needed to complement slower traditional taxonomic approaches. We empirically compare different DNA-based species delimitation approaches for a rapid biodiversity assessment of hyperdiverse leaf beetle assemblages along an elevational gradient in southern Ecuador and explore their effect on species richness estimates. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Based on a COI barcode data set of 674 leaf beetle specimens (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of 266 morphospecies from three sample sites in the Podocarpus National Park, we employed statistical parsimony analysis, distance-based clustering, GMYC- and PTP-modelling to delimit species-like units and compared them to morphology-based (parataxonomic) species identifications. The four different approaches for DNA-based species delimitation revealed highly similar numbers of molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) (n = 284-289). Estimated total species richness was considerably higher than the sampled amount, 414 for morphospecies (Chao2) and 469-481 for the different MOTU types. Assemblages at different elevational levels (1000 vs. 2000 m) had similar species numbers but a very distinct species composition for all delimitation methods. Most species were found only at one elevation while this turnover pattern was even more pronounced for DNA-based delimitation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:Given the high congruence of DNA-based delimitation results, probably due to the sampling structure, our study suggests that when applied to species communities on a regionally limited level with high amount of rare species (i.e. ~50% singletons), the choice of species delimitation method can be of minor relevance for assessing species numbers and turnover in tropical insect communities. Therefore, DNA-based species delimitation is confirmed as a valuable tool for evaluating biodiversity of hyperdiverse insect communities, especially when exact taxonomic identifications are missing.

SUBMITTER: Thormann B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4744027 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Bean leaf beetles (Ootheca spp.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) are one of Africa's most important pests of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Roots, leaves, floral parts, and young pods are all attacked, leading to a considerable loss in grain yield. In Uganda, there are no comprehensive prescribed management strategies for bean leaf beetles, but farmers typically try to control the pest by delaying bean crop sowing, and to a lesser extent, using insecticides. Although farmers have consistently implemented the two approaches, there is no information on the effects of the approaches in Uganda. To assess the impact of planting timing and insecticide spray regimes on bean leaf beetle populations, concomitant foliar damage, and grain yield, we set up trials in three agro-ecological zones with known presence of the beetles during the second rainy season of 2016 (2016) and the first rainy season of 2017 (2017). The first planting, coinciding with early planting, was conducted within one week after the onset of rains. The second planting, coinciding with mid planting, followed two weeks later, while the third planting, considered late planting in this study, was conducted one month after the second planting. A foliar application of cypermethrin commencing at 7 days after emergence (DAE), 14 DAE, 21 DAE, 28 DAE, and 35 DAE; a soil drench of imidacloprid at planting combined with a foliar spray starting at 7 DAE; and an untreated control were among the insecticide spray regimes evaluated. Higher bean leaf beetle abundance was recorded from mid-planting, while higher foliar damage was recorded from late planting in two of the three agro-ecological zones. However, higher marketable grain yield was recorded from early planting in all agro-ecological zones, suggesting that delayed planting may not be beneficial. Insecticide application reduced foliar damage and increased marketable grain yield, with a combination of soil drench and foliar spray resulting in much less foliar damage and, as a result, higher grain yield. However, this did not result in economic benefits. Furthermore, marketable grain yield was higher when insecticide spray regimes were combined with early planting in all agro-ecological zones during both seasons. Our findings suggest that the common bean should be planted early and that the control of the bean leaf beetle should target both the adults and the juvenile stages in the soil. Therefore, there is a need for farmers to be able to access less-expensive soil treatments.

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Exploring the Leaf Beetle Fauna (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of an Ecuadorian Mountain Forest Using DNA Barcoding.

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