Enoclerus nigripes (Say) (Coleoptera: Cleridae) Mitochondrial COI DNA Analysis Reveals Non-Monophyly of Color Variants

The taxonomic validity of the subspecies of Enoclerus nigripes (Say, 1823), which are based on coloration, is in question given that color pattern often does not associate with monophyletic groups or geographic area as observed with some animals. A red head, prothorax, and elytral bases diagnose Enoclerus nigripes nigripes (Say, 1823), while a black head, prothorax, and elytral bases diagnose Enoclerus nigripes rufiventris (Spinola, 1844). In this study, we investigate the monophyly of individuals with specific color patterns in order to test the validity of these subspecies. A phylogeny based on mitochondrial COI DNA sequences from northeastern North American specimens, representing both subspecies, was generally unresolved. Neither the red- nor black-predominant color patterns were monophyletic, indicating that E. nigripes is a species with a varied color pattern throughout its distribution and substantiating the recently proposed synonymy of its subspecies.