The genetic structure of endangered populations in the Cranberry Fritillary, Boloria aquilonaris (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae): RAPDs vs allozymes.

The genetic population structure of the Cranberry Fritillary Boloria aquilonaris was studied using both RAPDs (random amplified polymorphic DNA) and allozymes. In Belgium, B. aquilonaris has a naturally fragmented distribution that has been accentuated due to human activity during the last century. The genetic population structure of this butterfly was analysed at the regional (several Ardenne uplands) and at the landscape level (several populations within an Ardenne upland). Both population genetic markers confirmed results from a previous CMR study at the landscape scale. At the regional scale however, important incongruences were observed between RAPDs and allozymes. The average gene diversity for the RAPD data was twice that of the allozyme data. The degree of population subdivision was also much greater for RAPDs than for allozymes. The UPGMA clusters produced by each of these markers differed significantly. We believe that, given the higher rate of mutation of RAPDs and the greater number of loci assayed by this method, RAPDs reveal a more accurate and recent population genetic structure than allozymes.