%A CHENG Hai-Yun, DUAN Jia-Chong, ZHANG Chao, PAN Zhao %T Molecular species definition of common blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae) from northern China  %0 Journal Article %D 2022 %J Acta Entomologica Sinica %R 10.16380/j.kcxb.2022.09.014 %P 1204-1221 %V 65 %N 9 %U {http://www.insect.org.cn/CN/abstract/article_6916.shtml} %8 2022-09-20 %X 【Aim】 This study aims to test the applicability of four analytical methods, including automatic barcode gap discovery (ABGD), generalized mixed Yule coalescent (GMYC), Bayesian Poisson tree processes (bPTP), and Bayesian phylogenetics and phylogeography (BPP) with fragments of two genes, mitochondrial COI and nuclear CAD, in the molecular species definition of Meloidae insects. 【Methods】 Eighteen meloid morphologic species widely distributed in northern China and belonging to six genera (Hycleus, Mylabris, Epicauta, Lytta, Megatrachelus, and Meloe) were sampled. The molecular species definition was carried out based on COI, CAD, and concatenated COI+CAD sequence data sets by using ABGD, GMYC, bPTP, and BPP. The molecular species definition results by using different methods were compared with that by the morphological identification, respectively. 【Results】 The molecular species definitions based on the COI+CAD concatenated sequence data sets were consistent with the morphological identification results, those based on COI sequences with the ABGD and GMYC methods were also consistent with the morphological identification results, while the number of species identified by using bPTP was more than that by morphological identification. The definition results based on CAD sequences by using all three single-gene species definition methods except GMYC were partially different from the morphological identification results. 【Conclusion】 The molecular species definitions of Meloidae based on multi-gene concatenated sequences and multiple methods are better than those based on single gene fragment or single definition method. The results of this study provide data support and reference for molecular species definition and integrative taxonomy of the family Meloidae.