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Vol. 63, 2024
(update: 2024.11.12)
Use of DNA Barcode Sequences
for Distinguishing the Three Species in the Arctic Warbler (Phylloscopus borealis) Species
Complex
Shun-Jen
Cheng1
and Yu-Cheng Hsu1,*
doi:10.6620/ZS.2024.63-33
1Department
of Natural Resource and Environmental Studies, National Dong Hwa
University, Hualien 97401, Taiwan. *Correspondence: E-mail:
ycsheu@gms.ndhu.edu.tw (Hsu)
E-mail: csjprinia@gmail.com (Cheng)
(Received 21 December 2023 /
Accepted 26 June 2024 / Published 12 November 2024)
Communicated by Chih-Ming Hung
The
Arctic warbler (Phylloscopus borealis)
species complex is commonly present in the Palearctic region. By 2014,
the three bird subspecies were split into three species, Arctic warbler
(P. borealis), Japanese leaf
warbler (P. xanthodryas), and
Kamchatka leaf warbler (P. examinandus),
based on different breeding areas and distinct vocalizations. However,
their similar coloration and body size make it difficult to distinguish
these species in the nonbreeding season. Taiwan is located in the
potential migration routes of the Arctic warbler species complex;
however, no confirmed record of P.
xanthodryas and P.
examinandus exists. In this study, we compared the
mitochondrial cytochrome c
oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) sequences of samples from breeding sites during
the breeding season and confirmed that the three species could be
distinguished based on CO1 gene sequences. We also examined the species
of the Arctic warbler species complex samples collected from eastern
Taiwan. For the first time, we confirmed that all three species visited
Taiwan during migration season. In the Taiwanese samples, no clear
distinction could be made between species based on plumage coloration
and size, indicating that these traits are not reliable for species
identification. Reassessment of the CO1 gene sequences of the three
species deposited in the Barcode of Life Data System revealed that the
taxonomic status needs to be updated for 31.8% of the samples.
Key words: Arctic warbler
species complex, DNA barcode, Phylloscopus
borealis, Phylloscopus
xanthodryas, Phylloscopus
examinandus
Citation:
Cheng SJ, Yu-Cheng Hsu YC. 2024. Use of DNA barcode sequences for
distinguishing the three species in the Arctic warbler (Phylloscopus borealis) species
complex. Zool Stud 63:33. doi:10.6620/ZS.2024.63-33.
Supplementary materials: Table S1丨Table S2
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