Spatial history of populations of Belostoma angustum Lauck, 1964 (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae) and genetic-morphological variation along mountain chains in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

• Grant number: 15/07166-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2015
• End date: April 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Eduardo Andrade Botelho de Almeida
• Grantee: Fabiano Stefanello
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 16/12720-6 - Male and female genitalic variation in populations of the giant water bug Belostoma angustum Lauck, 1964 (Insecta, Belostomatidae) and mechanisms driving this variation, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

The main goal of this research is to evaluate the existence of a vicariant history of populations Belostoma angustum distributed across highlands of the "Pampa gaucho" based on phylogeographic and morphological analyzes. The populations of the highlands South-Rio-Grande and Campanha may have high genetic diversity and patterns highly structured diversity and similarity among haplotypes, the result of a past vicariance event between these two phyto-physiognomic formations. According to this hypothesis, it is expected that clear patterns of divergence and reciprocal monophyly between the populations of the highlands would be found. Alternatively, a discrete genetic divergence between populations of the highlands, as well as results indicative of non-monophyletic, may be be found. A third scenario would be a similarity gradient between haplotypes, so that a hybridization zone in the area in the middle would be detected, and the ends of the populations ranges would be most divergent. In order to assess the genetic variation between populations, fragments of mitochondrial genes such as cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), cytochrome oxidase subunit II (COII), cytochrome b (City b) and gene 16S will be sampled. Additionally, body size data, shape and size of reproductive structures of the collected specimens will be measured in order to quantify the geographic morphological variation and link this with the phylogeographic variation.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

STEFANELLO, FABIANO; MENEZES, RODOLPHO S. T.; RIBEIRO, I, JOSE RICARDO; ALMEIDA, EDUARDO A. B.. Widespread Gene Flow Model Explains the Genetic-Morphological Variation in a Giant Water Bug Species Under Fine-Scale Spatial Sampling. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, v. 113, n. 3, p. 160-170, MAY 2020. (11/09477-9, 15/07166-7, 16/21098-7, 16/12720-6, 18/09666-5)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

STEFANELLO, Fabiano. Spatial history and genetic-morphological variation of populations of Belostoma angustum Lauck, 1964 (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae) throughout Pampas highlands in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. 2017. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC) Ribeirão Preto.