Origins of recently re-established and newly discovered populations of the endangered butterfly Shijimiaeoides divinus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in Oita Prefecture, Japan

The endangered butterfly Shijimiaeoides divinus was believed to have been extirpated from Oita Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan, but was rediscovered in Taketa in recent years. This population is considered to have re-established as a result of natural dispersal from Kumamoto, a neighboring prefecture located to the west of Oita. Furthermore, another population was recently found in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, which is an area where the species had never been recorded. To elucidate the origins of these two populations newly found from Oita Prefecture, their DNA sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene were compared with those of other S. divinus populations from Kumamoto Prefecture, Honshu and Korea. The results supported the hypothesis that the Taketa population originated from Kumamoto Prefecture. However, it was not clear whether this population originated from the natural dispersal or deliberate release of individuals. It was also found that the Yufu population was not established by the deliberate release of individuals from Honshu or Korea; however, it remained unclear whether the population of S. divinus was native to Yufu, or originated from other localities in Kyushu.