Application of ecological niche models for the potential identification of cryptic speciation processes in Adelpha basiloides (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in the territory of Costa Rica.

Abstract

The objective of this work was the application of niche modeling to support the hypothesis of cryptic speciation in A. basiloides, which indicates the existence of at least one pair of species under this name; the models were elaborated with georeferencing systems to obtain a mapping of the prediction of the niche. The model of A. basiloides was compared with some sister species and subspecies of the same genus, in order to detect similarities, since if A.basiloides is a case of nearby species it must have a niche use similar to these. Later, a statistical analysis was carried out to determine the influencing factors in the niche models, also a cluster analysis, supporting the genetic hypothesis of two clades. This reveals the existence of two more separated niches in Adelpha basiloides, which could reflect that their divergence is even greater than many of the sister species or subspecies analyzed. By means of the MANOVA statistical test, the difference between these two niches was determined, being significantly different, so the hypothesis of the existence of two clades of Adelpha basiloides is supported and it is considered that the use of these models is of great importance. Utility for the identification of cryptic species at the ecological level.