Solving the case of Monochamus clamator: Preliminary evidence

The taxonomic entities of Monochamus clamator have traditionally been hard to categorize and their phylogenetic status is unknown. M. clamator exhibits differences in morphology and genetics over a large range from Western Canada to Honduras. Made possible by our capturing hundreds of specimens in the Western United States, the variation in this species can be closely examined. This paper focuses on genetic information gathered from a representative sample including all described subspecies: Monochamus clamator clamator, M. c. latus, M. c. rubigineus, M. c. nevadensis and M. c. linsleyi. Multiple gene regions were sequenced, producing maximum likelihood and bayesian phylogenies for the populations collected. These estimates support breaking the group into at least two species. Preliminary molecular evidence is providing a window into the formation dynamics of populations in M. clamator, and indicating how ecological selection may have been an influence.