MtDNA phylogeography and recent intra-island diversification among Canary Island Calathus beetles

The genus Calathus Bonelli comprises 24 species on the Canary Islands. Sequ ences of 927 and 687 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I and II ge nes, respectively, as well as the intervening tRNA leu gene in 21 of the 24 species, have identified three genetically divergent and unequivocally mon ophyletic groupings. A phylogeographic analysis is presented for the major monophyletic group comprising all the species of Gran Canaria, La Gomera, a nd El Hierro, and two Tenerifean species. A distance-based phylogenetic ana lysis and maximum parsimony analysis have clearly shown that this clade is composed of four distinct lineages. DNA sequence data suggest a recent orig in for this clade and that lineages have not evolved at the same rate. Comp ared with diversification patterns observed in other Coleoptera on the Cana ry Islands, diversification has been recent relative to the time of coloniz ation within the islands of Gran Canaria and La Gomera. Calathus diversific ation on La Gomera has been greater than on Gran Canaria. The influences of geological and ecological history are discussed in relation to Calathus di versification. (C) 1999 Academic Press.