UNIVERSIDAD DE MURCIA ESCUELA INTERNACIONAL DE DOCTORADO Ecology and Conservation of Cephalota (Taenidia) Deserticoloides (Codina, 1931) (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) Ecología y Conservación de Cephalota (Taenidia) Deserticoloides (Codina, 1931) (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) D. José Herrera Russert 2018 Ecología y conservación de Cephalota (Taenidia) deserticoloides (Codina, 1931) (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) Ecology and conservation of Cephalota (Taenidia) deserticoloides (Codina, 1931) (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) José Herrera Russert 2018 Escuela Internacional de Doctorado Universidad de Murcia Directores: José Galián Albaladejo José Serrano Marino 2 Este trabajo se ha realizado en el Área de Biología Animal del Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física de la Universidad de Murcia, bajo la financiación obtenida en la convocatoria de Grupos de Excelencia Regional otorgada por la Fundación Séneca de la Región de Murcia al grupo de investigación “Filogenia y Evolución Animal” (19908/GERM/15), cuyo I.P. es el Dr. José Galián Albaladejo, director de esta tesis. 3 4 5 6 Table of Contents List of figures ......................................................................................................................... 11 List of tables ........................................................................................................................... 13 Abstract................................................................................................................................... 15 Resumen ................................................................................................................................. 17 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 21 Tiger beetles as an object of study .................................................................................. 23 The genus Cephalota ...................................................................................................... 28 Cephalota deserticoloides ................................................................................................. 30 Conceptual and methodological aspects ....................................................................... 34 Phylogenetic analysis ................................................................................................... 34 Phylogeography: haplotype networks ....................................................................... 37 Mitochondrial markers ................................................................................................. 39 DNA barcoding ............................................................................................................. 41 Environmental DNA .................................................................................................... 42 Geometric morphometrics ........................................................................................... 42 Population ecology: mark-recapture .......................................................................... 44 Aims and hypotheses ........................................................................................................... 47 Chapter 1: Molecular phylogeny and origin of the halophile tiger beetle genus Cephalota (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) .................................................................................. 51 Abstract............................................................................................................................... 53 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 53 Material and methods ...................................................................................................... 55 7 Specimens ....................................................................................................................... 55 Sequence obtention ....................................................................................................... 56 Phylogenetic analysis ................................................................................................... 56 Results ................................................................................................................................. 57 DNA extraction, sequences and models .................................................................... 57 Phylogenetic results ...................................................................................................... 58 Discussion .......................................................................................................................... 60 Chapter 2: Geometric morphometrics and molecular characterization of the endangered endemism Cephalota (Taenidia) deserticoloides .............................................. 65 Abstract............................................................................................................................... 66 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 66 Material and methods ...................................................................................................... 68 Specimens ....................................................................................................................... 68 Sequence obtention ....................................................................................................... 69 Phylogeographic analysis ............................................................................................ 69 Geometric morphometrics analysis ............................................................................ 70 Results ................................................................................................................................. 70 DNA extraction, amplification and sequencing ....................................................... 70 Phylogeographic results ............................................................................................... 71 Geometric morphometric results ................................................................................ 72 Discussion .......................................................................................................................... 73 History of C. deserticoloides ........................................................................................... 73 Genetic diversity of C. deserticoloides .......................................................................... 74 Future expectations ....................................................................................................... 75 8 Chapter 3: Non-invasive identification of endangered tiger beetle species (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) from soil samples ................................................................... 77 Abstract............................................................................................................................... 79 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 79 Material and methods ...................................................................................................... 82 Results and discussion ..................................................................................................... 84 Chapter 4: Mark-recapture population estimates of Cephalota deserticoloides ............... 87 Abstract............................................................................................................................... 89 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 89 Material and methods ...................................................................................................... 92 Mark-recapture study ................................................................................................... 92 Data analysis .................................................................................................................. 93 Results ................................................................................................................................. 94 Discussion .......................................................................................................................... 95 Final remarks and conclusions ............................................................................................ 99 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................ 103 9 10 List of figures INTRODUCTION Figure 1. Cephalota (Cephalota) hispanica pair feeding on a mealworm (Tenebrio molitor). 25 Figure 2. Cephalota (Taenidia) deserticoloides exhibiting thermoregulatory behaviour. 25 Figure 3. Life cycle of a tiger beetle. 26 Figure 4. Captive Cicindela larva lunging at prey. 26 Figure 5. Pseudotetracha sp. running form a sudden water flood. 27 Figure 6. Robber fly feeding on Cephalota (Taenidia) circumdata. 28 Figure 7. Cephalota (Taenidia) littorea. 29 Figure 8. Cephalota (Cassolaia) maura. 30 Figure 9: Cephalota (Taenidia) deserticoloides from Rambla Salada. 31 Figure 10. Rambla Salada (Murcia, Spain). 33 Figure 11. The tiger beetle Cicindela hybrida hunting an ant (Formica sp.). 34 Figure 12. Bayesian topology