A population-level study of Cyanallagma (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) in Patagonia utilizing EPIC DNA sequence markers

There is a lack of understanding regarding the insect phylogeography of Patagonia.  This study focuses on two Patagonian Odonata (Rhionaeshna variegata and Cyanallagma interruptum).  Both species are widely distributed across Patagonia but have markedly different dispersal abilities.  For example, R. variegata (Aeshnidae) is an endurance flyer capable of long distance dispersal, while C. interruptum (Coenagrionidae) is only capable of brief flights and short distance dispersal.  First, we performed a preliminary analysis of nine populations of both species across their distribution ranges, sampling both nuclear (H3 and 28S), and mitochondrial genes (16S, COXI and COXII).  While R. variegata showed negligible genetic structure, C. interruptum showed some among the mitochondrial genes.  These results are consistent with greater dispersal ability among aeshinds as compared with coenagrionids.  We then pursued analyses for C. interrumptum, for which we included eleven additional populations (20 populations and 54 specimens total) that cover most of its distributional range in Argentina.  We performed network and phylogeographic analyses with the mitochondrial genes COXI/II and with the recently developed EPIC (exon-primed intron-crossing) nuclear genes PRMT, CDC5 and AgT.