The fog-basking beetle, Onymacris unguicularis (Haag, 1875), is currently listed as a polytypic form comprising two subspecies. A flightless substrate specialist, the beetle is endemic to vegetationless dunes in the Namib, where southern populations constitute the nominate subspecies, O. u. unguicularis, and populations some 300 km to the north compose O. u. schulzeae Penrith, 1984. Their taxonomic descriptions are based on minor differences in pronotal and prosternal shape, and the phylogenetic validity of these subspecies has yet to be ascertained. Here we reassess the polytypic status of O. unguicularis by (1) examining diagnostic phenotypic characters in conjunction with a geometric morphometric analysis, and (2) conducting phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences. Our results confirm pronotal and prosternal differences, which are complemented by geometric morphometric resolution of the subspecies. Phylogenetic analysis recovered two reciprocally monophyletic lineages that exhibit perfect phylogeographic congruence with phenotypic variation. Our genetic data identify southern and northern populations as distinct lineages, corroborate morphometric data regarding subspecific delimitation, and therefore support the recognition of O. u. unguicularis and O. u. schulzeae as valid taxa under the general lineage concept.

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polytypic pronotal mitochondrial dna o u unguicularis beetle onymacris unguicularis haag prosternal differences subspecific delimitation diagnostic phenotypic characters geometric morphometric resolution phylogeographic congruence genetic corroborate morphometric data

Trip Lamb,Rachel Pollard,.Genetic variation corroborates subspecific delimitation in the Namib fog-basking beetle, Onymacris unguicularis (Haag) (Tenebrionidae, Coleoptera). 353 (0),.

Trip Lamb,Rachel Pollard,"Genetic variation corroborates subspecific delimitation in the Namib fog-basking beetle, Onymacris unguicularis (Haag) (Tenebrionidae, Coleoptera)" 353

Trip Lamb,Rachel Pollard,"Genetic variation corroborates subspecific delimitation in the Namib fog-basking beetle, Onymacris unguicularis (Haag) (Tenebrionidae, Coleoptera)"