中国小花尺蛾属DNA分类、分子系统发育与动物地理学研究

Eupithecia is the largest genus of Geometrid moths. Moths in the genus are small and usually difficult to identify with certainty. This project aims to study the DNA taxonomy, molecular phylogeny and zoogeography of Chinese Eupithecia. There are many unresolved scientific questions in the research of Eupithecia, such as, many species are unrecorded or undescribed; the phylogenetic relationships in the genus, the monophyly and delimitation of species groups are still puzzles; the mechanisms of the high species richness of this genus in the Mountains of Southwest China are also unresolved. This study will reveal the species diversity of Eupithecia, and totally more than 400 species are expected to be dealt with. The molecular phylogeny based on eight genes will investigate the phylogenetic relationships among species-groups and the monophyly of these groups, and to revise the classification system. The zoogeographical study will explore the mechanisms of the high species richness of this genus in the Mountains of Southwest China, and to understand the effect of climate and environmental changes during the Pleistocene on the distribution pattern of the genus. The results are of great significance for the biodiversity of Eupithecia and Lepidoptera, and for understanding their origin and evolution. The results will also facilitate the understanding of the general evolution pattern of the moths in the Mountains of Southwest China, and how the uplift of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau influenced the species divergence of Lepidoptera.

小花尺蛾属是尺蛾科中最大的属，体型较小，准确鉴定物种困难。中国小花尺蛾属大量物种尚未发现、描记；属内部系统发育关系研究尚属空白、各种团的界定、单系性尚不明确；该属在我国西南山地具有极高的物种多样性，但其机制尚不清晰。本项目拟针对上述问题开展中国小花尺蛾属的DNA分类、分子系统发育及动物地理学研究。本研究将摸清我国小花尺蛾属物种多样性资源，预计掌握物种400种以上；基于8个分子标记探讨和澄清该属内部各种团间的系统发育关系、厘定该属的分类系统、解决种团的单系性问题；探讨小花尺蛾属在西南山地高物种多样性的形成机制、更新世以来气候和环境变化对小花尺蛾属物种现有分布格局的影响。本项目的研究结果对于研究世界小花尺蛾属、乃至鳞翅目昆虫的物种多样性、区系起源与演化具有重要意义，还将有助于揭示西南山地蛾类物种演化的一般模式，对于探讨青藏高原隆起影响鳞翅目物种分化的普遍规律具有重要作用。

本项目针对中国小花尺蛾属大量物种尚未发现与描记、准确鉴定物种困难、属内系统发育关系不清、在西南山地特有种丰富机制不清等问题，开展了中国小花尺蛾属的DNA分类、系统发育及动物地理研究。完成了对馆藏、及本项目执行过程中新采集的小花尺蛾属标本及解剖玻片的系统整理、DNA分类结合形态分类鉴定等工作，其中分子标本约1600号，玻片530张，微针展翅标本410号。DNA分类研究共识别出104个物种，较原有记载新增56种；发现3个中国新记录种，53种尚未能定名，多数应为新种；种间平均距离为2.92%；结合系统发育研究结果，将其中的78种划分到23个种团。选取小花尺蛾属27个种团110种，选用6个基因片段（COI、COII、Cytb、16S、EF-1α、GAPDH）进行了该属的系统发育研究。主要结果表明小花尺蛾属为单系；abietaria种团是小花尺蛾属的原始类群；haworthiata种团、innotata种团和satyrata种团为单系；russeliata种团、interruptofasciata种团、subfuscata种团和lanceata种团均表现出多系性；sinuosaria种团与graphata种团形成姐妹群关系；addictata种团、gueneata种团、centaureata种团和fletcherata种团的部分种类关系较近；semigraphata种团镶嵌在subfuscata种团内部，不为有效种团；rajata种团不为单系，该种团的E. ebriosa与propagata种团的E. balintszolti形成姐妹群关系。系统发育分析结果与基于形态特征划分的种团不一致的情况在大种团中尤为明显，如undata和fletcherata种团，其内物种位于不同的分支上且相隔较远。小花尺蛾属有102种中国特有种，其中81种为西南山地特有种，占总种数27.2%。结合系统发育研究的结果及其地理分布格局，我们推测小花尺蛾属可能起源于西南山地，随后经历了多次适应辐射，因本属物种具有较高的生态适应性，占据了许多生态位，进而成功分化了更多的物种。通过本项目的实施，我们掌握了我国小花尺蛾属昆虫的物种多样性资源状况，推动了世界鳞翅目区系研究，还推进了对尺蛾科、甚至鳞翅目亲缘关系的认识。发表标注论文14篇。