A comprehensive DNA sequence library is essential for identification with DNA barcodes.
In this study we examine the possibility of utilising partial cox1 gene sequences as barcodes to identify non-biting midges (Diptera: Chironomidae). We analysed DNA from 97 specimens of 47 species in the genera Cladotanytarsus, Micropsectra, Parapsectra, Paratanytarsus, Rheotanytarsus, Tanytarsus and Virgatanytarsus with a main focus on Micropsectra, Parapsectra and Paratanytarsus. Our findings show that (1) cox1 is easily amplified from extracts from different life stages with the standard barcoding primers. (2) Although K2P-distances between con-specific sequences varied up to 4.9%, con-specifics clustered together with 91-100% bootstrap support in maximum parsimony analysis. This indicates that barcodes may be excellent tools to identify species that are already in a cox1 library. (3) Both neighbour joining and maximum parsimony failed to reconstruct monophyletic genera. Thus, if a well-matching cox1 sequence is not already available in the library, the prospects of approximately identifying an unknown taxon, even to the correct genus of subtribe Tanytarsina, are not good.
Ekrem
Torbjørn
T
Section of Natural History, Museum of Natural History and Archaeology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway. Torbjorn.Ekrem@vm.ntnu.no
Willassen
Endre
E
Stur
Elisabeth
E
D000818:Animals; D002683:Chironomidae / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015723:Gene Library; D017344:Genes, Insect; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny
D004247:DNA; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV