Microphotus species occur in the southwestern United States and adjacent parts of Mexico. These glowworm fireflies do not flash in sexual communication, rather the apterous females glow to attract males (Green 1959). Males are fully winged and weakly bioluminescent. Seven species are currently recognized, primarily with male genitalia and secondarily with elytral length, color, and number of antennomeres. However, color and number of antennomeres are polymorphic within some species. This dearth of diagnostic characters and the sympatric range of most species confounds the identification and delimitation of species.
A phylogeny based on morphological and molecular data will help determine species boundaries and address patterns of speciation in Microphotus. Specimens used in J. W. Green’s 1959 revision have been borrowed from institutions. A number of these will be dissected and explored for taxonomically informative morphological characters. DNA for molecular analysis will be extracted from fresh specimens and sequenced. Polymerase chain reaction will amplify a portion of DNA coding for a mitochondrial gene (cytochrome oxidase I), a nuclear gene (luciferase), and a ribosomal gene (28S). The morphological and molecular data matrices will be combined for parsimony analysis. Monophyletic groups that are morphologically or ecologically distinct will be considered valid species and described.
Species 1: Coleoptera Lampyridae Microphotus (desert firefly)
Keywords: phylogeny
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