The Aegean Archipelago as cradle: divergence of the glaphyrid genus <i>Pygopleurus</i> and phylogeography of <i>P. foina</i>

The genus Pygopleurus includes some of the most important beetle pollinators Eastern Mediterranean islands, showing a particular affinity to red-guild flowers. Focussing on Aegean Archipelago, 75 individuals belonging five species were sampled and screened for two mtDNA loci (COI 16S). phylogenetic analysis implemented both by Bayesian Maximum Likelihood approaches, showed deep robust structure three species, mostly reflecting palaeogeographic history islands. Interspecific divergence among them appears have emerged at beginning Messinian Salinity Crisis (5.99-5.33 Mya), with differentiation dating back eustatic sea level changes Pleistocene (2.56-0.0117 Mya). For P. foina, abundant in finer sampling (121 from 8 islands) COI locus distinct separation between northern southern islands East that disconnected non-simultaneously continent during Pleistocene. A strong geographic was also evident smaller taxonomic scales, island populations exhibiting unique haplotypes. Thus, we concluded major events region are reflected observed patterns inter- intraspecific within something is facilitated this genus’ low dispersal ability.