DNA Barcoding of Lepidoptera Species from the Maltese Islands: New and Additional Records, with an Insight into Endemic Diversity

This work presents the first outcomes resulting from a DNA barcode reference library of lepidopteran species from Malta. The library presented here was constructed from the specimens collected between 2015 and 2019 and covers the genetic barcodes of 146 species (ca. 25% of lepidopterous Maltese fauna), including four newly recorded Lepidoptera species from the Maltese islands: Apatema baixerasi, Bostra dipectinialis, Oiketicoides lutea, and Phereoeca praecox. The DNA reference barcode library constructed during this study was analyzed in conjunction with publicly available DNA barcodes and used to assess the ability of the local DNA barcodes to discriminate species. Results showed that each species occupies a different BOLD BIN; therefore, DNA barcoding was able to discriminate between the studied species. Our data led to the formation of 12 new BOLD BINs-that is, OTUs that were identified during this work-while nearly 46% of the barcodes generated during this study were never recorded on conspecifics, further indicating the uniqueness of genetic diversity on these central Mediterranean islands. The outcomes of this study highlight the integrative taxonomic approach, where molecular taxonomy plays an important role for biodiversity investigation in its entirety.

Automated summary

This study presents the first outcomes of a DNA barcode reference library for lepidopteran species from Malta, demonstrating the ability of DNA barcoding to discriminate between different species and highlighting the unique genetic diversity found on the central Mediterranean islands.