Multiplex PCR for identification of two butterfly sister species: Eurema mandarina and Eurema hecabe

In insects, closely related species are often difficult or impossible to distinguish solely by morphological traits. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers are often useful and reliable for distinguishing closely related species. However, useful mtDNA markers can be unavailable, particularly when such species pairs experienced hybrid introgression in the past. Although polymorphic nuclear DNA markers would be necessary to distinguish such species pairs, recombination, multiple copies, and slower mutation rates of the nuclear DNA compared with those of mtDNA often make it challenging. The objective of this study was to develop a multiplex polymerase chain reaction that can reliably amplify and distinguish the Tpi sequences of Eurema mandarina and Eurema hecabe.

We successfully analyzed the nucleotide sequences of the Z chromosome-linked triose phosphate isomerase (Tpi) gene to develop a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that amplified ca. 120-bp products for E. mandarina and ca. 375-bp products for E. hecabe. We suggest that multiplex PCR using Tpi with appropriately designed primers can be used to accurately and reliably distinguish between other closely related Lepidoptera species.