A mystery solved – integrative taxonomy of Haplothrips leucanthemi and H. niger (Insecta: Thysanoptera)

Taxonomic ambiguities have been observed in many groups of organisms, i.a. in thrips (Insecta: Thysanoptera). Many species pairs belonging to this order are synonymized and recognized as separate species at the same time, depending on the adopted literature or taxonomic key. Taking into account that the biology of the most thrips species is unknown and identification based on morphological characteristics of species that are highly similar is difficult, more complex and integrative approaches are needed to define the taxonomic status of such species. In the present study, we analyzed three classes of data to resolve the relationships of two species belonging to the genus Haplothrips: H. leucanthemi (Schrank, 1781) and H. niger (Osborn, 1883), respectively. We analyzed diagnostic morphological features of larvae, molecular markers (mitochondrial COI, and nuclear 28S and ITS2), and variation in determined profiles of microbiota associated with both selected species. Only the result of the morphometric analysis was partially species-specific. Results of molecular analyses did not support the distinctiveness of H. niger in the range of species. Thus, H. leucanthemi should be rather recognized as a species complex and H. niger should be recognized as its biotype based on subtle morphological differences, as well as dissimilarities in ecological traits and reproductive mode. Parthenogenesis-inducing bacteria (i.e. Wolbachia and Rickettsia) have been identified in determined microbiota profiles of both H. leucanthemi and H. niger. Thus, further studies are needed to resolve the background of lack of males in H. niger populations.诸多生物类群中均存在分类学歧义现象，尤以蓟马（Insecta: Thysanoptera）类群为著。隶属于该目的诸多物种对，依据所采用的文献或分类检索表，可同时被界定为同物异名或独立有效物种。鉴于绝大多数蓟马物种的生物学特性尚未明确，且基于高度相似形态特征的物种鉴定难度极大，亟需采用更为复杂且整合性的研究方法，以明确此类物种的分类学地位。 本研究针对简棒蓟马属（Haplothrips）的两个物种——菊简棒蓟马（H. leucanthemi (Schrank, 1781)）与黑简棒蓟马（H. niger (Osborn, 1883)）——的分类学关系展开解析，共采用三类数据：幼虫的诊断形态特征、分子标记（线粒体COI基因、核基因28S及ITS2区域），以及两种目标物种的关联微生物组谱变异情况。 仅形态测量分析的结果具备部分物种特异性。分子分析结果未能支持黑简棒蓟马作为独立有效物种的结论。据此，基于细微的形态差异、生态特征及繁殖模式的差异，菊简棒蓟马应被视为一个物种复合群，而黑简棒蓟马则应被定为该复合群的一个生物型。 本研究在两种蓟马的已解析微生物组谱中均检测到了可诱导孤雌生殖的细菌——沃尔巴克氏体（Wolbachia）与立克次氏体（Rickettsia）。因此，后续仍需开展进一步研究，以解析黑简棒蓟马种群中雄性个体缺失的内在机制。