The species status of Cathormiocerus britannicus, an endemic, endangered British Weevil

This study uses DNA sequence and morphometric comparisons to investigate th e systematic status of a broad-nosed weevil, Cathormiocerus brittanicus (Cu rculionidae; Entiminae), currently described as an endangered UK endemic. T he nuclear marker ITS2 was sequenced from specimens of C. brittanicus, C. m yrmecophilus, C. curvipes and C. maritimus. Little sequence differentiation was detected between C. brittanicus and C. myrmecophilus, although both sp ecies' sequences were different to those of the other two congeners under s tudy. Multivariate analyses of eight morphometric characters also failed to distinguish C. brittanicus from C. myrmecophilus. The taxonomic status of the two species is therefore questionable. If they are the same species the endangered status of C. brittanicus shall need re-assessing and, because C . myrmecophilus also occurs in France, so will its status as a UK endemic. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.