| Panorpidae is the most species-rich family in Mecoptera,and comprises approximately 500 species assigned to eight genera.The genus Panorpa Linnaeus,1758 is the largest taxon in Panorpidae,comprising approximately 270 extant species.The species of Panorpa are categorized into various species groups based on different morphological criteria for local faunas.The Chinese Panorpa species without anal horn are normally assigned to the Panorpa davidi group.This group is quite diverse in morphology and confirmed to be a paraphyletic group,which needs a taxonomic revision.Here,the P.davidi group was taxonomically revised.Integrative taxonomic approaches were adopted to clarify the species boundaries of the P.davidi group.The phylogenetic relationships were reconstructed based on molecular data.The scorpionfly Panorpa liui Hua,1997 was originally described as yellow body and wings with black markings.It is widely distributed in the northeastern region of China,from Liaoning via Jilin to Heilongjiang provinces.Afterwards,P.jilinensis Zhou,2000 was described from Dongliao,Jilin and Dailing,Heilongjiang in China with yellowish-brown to black-brown body.Panorpa jilinensis and P.liui are very similar in general morphology except for body colour,and overlap in distribution.whether they are conspecific or distinct species remains to be resolved.In this study,the P.davidi group was revised,only including P.davidi and its closely related species instead of consisting of all the Chinese Panorpa without anal horn on the posterior margin of tergite VI in males.Based on the integrative of molecular data and morphological characters,two synonyms were found,P.shanyangensis Chou & Wang,1981 syn.nov.,and P.sexspinosa zhongnanensis Chou & Ran,1981 syn.nov.Thirty-one valid species were identified,including 16 new species with two having been reported: P.diqingensis Li & Hua,2020,P.dispergens Li & Hua,2020,P.apicata sp.nov.,P.gaokaii sp.nov.,P.habaensis sp.nov.,P.huayuani sp.nov.,P.jiuzhaigouensis sp.nov.,P.kangdingensis sp.nov.,P.longnanensis sp.nov.,P.nigromaculata sp.nov.,P.puriala sp.nov.,P.tianyanensis sp.nov.,P.tongbaishanica sp.nov.,P.triangulata sp.nov.,P.uncinata sp.nov.P.yaoluopingensis sp.nov.The results of biogeographical history study reveal that this group has an origin in the late Tertiary period in Hengduan Mountains.The ancestral population in Hengduan Mountains expanded its range northward Qinling-Bashan Mountains;and then populations in Qinling Mountains migrated northward to Taihang Mountains and southeastward to Dabie Mountains.The diversity and distribution pattern of the P.davidi group would be related with the uplift of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)and Quaternary climate change.The seasonal polyphenism of P.liui was revealed through integrating morphological variation analyses,geometric morphometrics of wing size and shape variations,genetic diversity,phylogenetic analyses,and biological rearing.Panorpa liui is a bivoltine species in the lowland plain,with the spring generation as the black morph and the summer generation as the yellow morph.The variations of wing markings,genitalia structures,wing sizes and shapes exist among individuals and populations.All characters of P.jilinensis Zhou,2000 fall into the range of variation of the four morphs of P.liui.Therefore,Panorpa jilinensis Zhou,2000 syn.nov.is treated here as a subjective junior synonym of P.liui Hua,1997.Our experiments reconfirm that color polyphenism is greatly influenced by temperature and the teneral adult is the sensitive stage for color polyphenism in P.liui.In this study,integrative taxonomic approaches were adopted to determine the species of the P.davidi group and identify seasonal polyphenism of P.liui.The confidence level in species delimitation is normally increased when different kinds of data and methods are used from multiple complementary disciplines.Integrative taxonomy is becoming a routine practice to distinguish between intra-and inter-specific variations to accurately assess species boundaries by incorporating diverse data types and methods. |
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