PgmNr P2116: Population genetics of the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus, in Mexico.

Authors:
F. Pérez-Gálvez ¹ ; C. Chavez Mora ¹ ; M. Ramirez Loustalot Laclette ¹ ; E. Rendón-Salinas ² ; E. Pfeiler ³ ; T. Markow ^1,4

---

Institutes
1) LANGEBIO-CINVESTAV, Irapuato, Mexico; 2) WWF-Mexico, Michoacan, Mexico; 3) CIAD Unidad Guaymas, Mexico; 4) University of California, San Diego, CA.

Abstract:

Population genetic variation and demographic history in migratory monarch butterflies, Danaus p. plexippus (L.), from four overwintering sites within the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in central Mexico were assessed based on analyses of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and subunit II (COII) gene segments in a total sample size of just under 100 individuals.  Overall, haplotype (h) and nucleotide (π) diversities were relatively low, averaging 0.42 and 0.0006, respectively, in COI, and 0.63 and 0.0024 in COII.  Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) of the concatenated COI and COII data set (n = 89; 1161 bp) indicated no significant population structure among the four sites. Estimates of demographic history based on the mismatch distribution and Bayesian skyline analyses of the concatenated Mexican data set showed a population expansion dating to the late Pleistocene (~35,000 to 40,000 years before present), and then a stable and current effective female population size (N_ef) of just under 10 million.