The phylogeography of an alpine leaf beetle: Divergence within Oreina elongata spans several ice ages

► In an mtDNA phylogeny, three of seven subspecies of Oreina elongata are monophyletic. ► Green and blue warning colors have been repeatedly lost and regained. ► Central Alpine clades are basal, before eastern, Apennine and western clades diverge. ► The major clades diverged long before the last glacial maximum.