Hidden in the deadwood: Taxonomically curated barcode library reveals deep genetic divergence in Eurasian saproxylic beetles

Abstract Saproxylic beetles are a highly diverse group of tree‐associated insects that play key roles in forest ecosystem functioning, comprising both rare primeval relicts and taxa of economic importance in timber production. Morphological identification of these beetles remains challenging due to high similarity among species‐rich taxa and a number of taxonomic specialists. While European DNA barcode reference databases have expanded in recent years, they remain dominated by western and northern populations, leaving Central and Eastern European taxa heavily underrepresented. Because previous studies have revealed pronounced east–west genetic divergence in several saproxylic beetle species, expanding barcode coverage in Central and Eastern Europe is highly necessary. Located within a biogeographical transition zone and harbouring some of Europe's last remnants of primeval forests, Poland represents a critical source of genetic data for these insects. We present a DNA barcode dataset comprising 285 morphologically identified species totalling 652 individuals, of which 261 species (557 individuals) were successfully barcoded and assigned to 274 distinct barcode index numbers (BINs), including nine species new to the BOLD database. Comparisons with GenBank and BOLD sequences revealed multiple deeply divergent lineages indicative of cryptic taxa, alongside shared haplotypes that may reflect misidentification, introgression or hybridization. This database provides a valuable resource for identifying evolutionarily significant units for conservation and may facilitate the assignment of source populations in studies of invasive pest species.

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Publication Details

Journal
Insect Conservation and Diversity
Published
2026-10-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.70143
Primary Topic
Coleoptera Taxonomy and Distribution
Type
article
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article

Hidden in the deadwood: Taxonomically curated barcode library reveals deep genetic divergence in Eurasian saproxylic beetles

Alicja Wierzbicka, Tomasz Jaworski, Radosław Plewa, Tomasz Mamos et al.
Insect Conservation and Diversity
Coleoptera Taxonomy and Distribution
article

Hidden in the deadwood: Taxonomically curated barcode library reveals deep genetic divergence in Eurasian saproxylic beetles

Alicja Wierzbicka, Tomasz Jaworski, Radosław Plewa, Tomasz Mamos, Miłosz A. Mazur, Nermeen R. Amer, Michał Grabowski, Lech Buchholz, Łukasz Kajtoch, Maria Oczkowicz, Jerzy M. Gutowski, Radosław Ścibior, D. Kubisz, Krzysztof Sućko, Tomasz Olbrycht, Adrian Smolis, Marcin Kadej, Tomasz Szmatoła, Grzegorz Tończyk, R. Ruta, Agata Piestrzyńska-Kajtoch, Kateřina Czajová, Rama Sarvani Krovi, Gabriela Karlik
article en

Abstract

Abstract Saproxylic beetles are a highly diverse group of tree‐associated insects that play key roles in forest ecosystem functioning, comprising both rare primeval relicts and taxa of economic importance in timber production. Morphological identification of these beetles remains challenging due to high similarity among species‐rich taxa and a number of taxonomic specialists. While European DNA barcode reference databases have expanded in recent years, they remain dominated by western and northern populations, leaving Central and Eastern European taxa heavily underrepresented. Because previous studies have revealed pronounced east–west genetic divergence in several saproxylic beetle species, expanding barcode coverage in Central and Eastern Europe is highly necessary. Located within a biogeographical transition zone and harbouring some of Europe's last remnants of primeval forests, Poland represents a critical source of genetic data for these insects. We present a DNA barcode dataset comprising 285 morphologically identified species totalling 652 individuals, of which 261 species (557 individuals) were successfully barcoded and assigned to 274 distinct barcode index numbers (BINs), including nine species new to the BOLD database. Comparisons with GenBank and BOLD sequences revealed multiple deeply divergent lineages indicative of cryptic taxa, alongside shared haplotypes that may reflect misidentification, introgression or hybridization. This database provides a valuable resource for identifying evolutionarily significant units for conservation and may facilitate the assignment of source populations in studies of invasive pest species.

Insect Conservation and Diversity
Cairo University (EG), University of Life Sciences in Lublin (PL), Kielce University of Technology (PL), University of Opole (PL), University of Ostrava (CZ), University of Wrocław (PL), University of Agriculture in Krakow (PL), National Research Institute of Animal Production (PL), University of Łódź (PL), Instytut Badawczy Leśnictwa (PL), Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals (PL), University of Rzeszów (PL), Polish Academy of Sciences (PL)
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Coleoptera Taxonomy and Distribution
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