Landscape genetics of the protected Spanish Moon Moth in core, buffer, and peripheral areas of the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park (Central Pyrenees, Spain)

Abstract

International audienceOne of the conservation projects carried out by the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park isthe monitoring of the protected Spanish Moon Moth, Graellsia isabellae (Saturniidae), in severalsites within the actual park, buffer zone, and peripheral area. Here we studied the geneticdiversity, geographical structure, and connectivity of this iconic insect in those areas with theaim of producing evidence-based recommendations that might help the National Park staff intheir decision-making. For this, we non-lethally sampled 402 adult moths from 17 sites andworked at two geographic scales: Western/Central Pyrenees and the area monitored by thestaff of the National Park. The multilocus genotypes obtained for nine nuclear microsatellitemarkers allowed us to quantify genetic variation, investigate population structure, and calculaterecent migration rates. Our results revealed a large-scale (ca. 125 km) west–east cline in allelefrequencies that causes low overall genetic differentiation (FST = 0.038) and similar levels ofdiversity among sites. Habitat connectivity revealed as an important element determiningdispersal for G. isabellae, given the patchy distribution of the host plant (Pinus sylvestris) in thestudy area. Gene flow within and outside the National Park was proved, with a particular site ofthe buffer zone (Bujaruelo) acting as a source of migrants to other localities within and outsidethe National Park. This finding underlines the importance of considering buffer zones to preservegenetic diversity within protected areas, and that safeguarding the connectedness of pine patchesis key to the conservation of this iconic moth