Molecular classification of Coptolabrus jankowskii (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in regions of Korea

This study was carried out to ascertain regional gene differences in the carabid beetle, Coptolabrus jankowskii, in Korea. There are eight subspecies of this species in Korea and it is very difficult to identify them due to morphological similarity. The mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (ND5) gene of Coptolabrus jankowskii from four regions, Sangju, Daegu, Jumbongsan Mountain, and Jejudo Island, was compared. The results showed differences in the base sequence at a total of 57 sites and amino acid variation at 25 sites. The neighbor-joining (NJ) tree and the maximum parsimony (MP) tree were established based on sequence data for ND5. In the NJ tree, the Jeju area (except the Songdangri site) and the Jumbongsan region showed close relationships. In the case of the MP tree, the results were divided into three separate groups: (A) the Songdangri, Jeju area, and the other Korean peninsula regions, except Jumbongsan; (B) the Jeju area, except Songdangri; and (C) the Jumbongsan region.