E. Figurny-puchalska et al., Comparison of genetic population structure of the large blue butterflies Maculinea nausithous and M-teleius, BIODIVERS C, 9(3), 2000, pp. 419-432
We investigated the genetic population structure of two rare myrmecophilous
lycaenid butterflies, Maculinea nausithous and M. teleius, which often liv
e sympatrically and have similar biology. In Europe, both species occur in
highly fragmented populations and are vulnerable to local extinction. The p
roportion of variable allozyme loci, average heterozygosity and genetic dif
ferentiation among populations was higher in M. nausithous than in sympatri
cally living M. teleius populations. We hypothesise that the differences in
heterozygosity are mainly due to the known higher efficiency of typical ho
st ant nests in rearing M. nausithous pupae compared to M. teleius pupae. T
his implies a larger probability of larval survival in M. nausithous, which
buffers populations against environmental and demographic stochasticity. I
n contrast, the lower carrying capacity of ant nests in rearing M. teleius
pupae requires higher nest-densities and makes M. teleius populations more
prone to losing genetic variation through drift if this condition is not fu
lfilled. The single investigated Russian population of M. teleius showed mu
ch higher levels of heterozygosity than any of the Polish populations, sugg
esting a more viable and still intact metapopulation structure.