Data from: Colonization of the Aeolian Islands by Pimelia rugulosa rugulosa Germar, 1824 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) inferred from the genetic structure of populations: geological and environmental relations.

The darkling beetle Pimelia rugulosa rugulosa Germar, 1824 was selected to investigate the process of colonization in a volcanic archipelago and the role of volcanism in determining spatial patterns of genetic variability. Analyses were conducted in the Aeolian Islands, located in the central Mediterranean directly off the Sicilian coast. Genetic variability and geographic structure were studied in individuals from each island of the archipelago based on sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 2 mitochondrial gene; a network approach was employed to identify haplotype lineages. A strong genetic structure, with no haplotype sharing among islands, was observed. Six separate lineages were identified that independently colonized different islands of the archipelago from the mainland and differentiated locally to form small haplogroups. Variability of observed haplogroups is correlated with island age and a positive correlation between tenebrionid diversity and mitotype diversity is reported. Some, yet undescribed, catastrophic event is hypothesized to explain the depletion of a substantial part of genetic as well as biological diversity in the island of Filicudi.

本研究选取1824年由格马尔（Germar）定名的皱鞘拟步甲（Pimelia rugulosa rugulosa，darkling beetle）作为研究对象，旨在探究火山群岛的生物定殖过程，以及火山活动在塑造遗传变异空间格局中的作用。研究区域设定为地中海中部、紧邻西西里海岸的埃奥利群岛（Aeolian Islands）火山群岛。研究团队基于线粒体细胞色素c氧化酶亚基2（cytochrome c oxidase subunit 2）基因序列，对该群岛各岛屿的个体开展遗传变异与地理结构分析，并采用网络分析法识别单倍型谱系（haplotype lineages）。结果显示种群存在显著遗传结构，各岛屿间无共享单倍型。研究共鉴定出6个独立谱系，这些谱系均从大陆扩散至群岛的不同岛屿，并在当地分化形成小型单倍群（haplogroup）。观测到的单倍群变异与岛屿年龄显著相关，同时本研究报道了拟步甲类群（tenebrionid）多样性与线粒体型（mitotype）多样性之间存在正相关关系。此外，本研究假设存在某一尚未被描述的灾难性事件，以此解释菲利库迪岛（Filicudi）上大量遗传与生物多样性的丧失。