Microniphargus leruthi Schellenberg, 1934 (Amphipoda: Niphargidae) was first described based on samples collected in Belgium and placed in a monotypic genus within the family Niphargidae. However, some details of its morphology as well as recent phylogenetic studies suggest that Microniphargus may be more closely related to Pseudoniphargus (Amphipoda: Pseudoniphargidae) than to Niphargus. Moreover, M. leruthi ranges over 1,469km from Ireland to Germany, which is striking since only a few niphargids have confirmed ranges in excess of 200km. To find out the phylogenetic position of M. leruthi and check whether it may be a complex of cryptic species, we collected material from Ireland, England and Belgium then sequenced fragments of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene as well as of the nuclear 28S ribosomal gene. Phylogenetic analyses of both markers confirm that Microniphargus is closer to Pseudoniphargus than to Niphargus, leading us to reallocate Microniphargus to Pseudoniphargidae. We also identify three congruent mito-nuclear lineages present respectively in Ireland, in both Belgium and England, and in England only (with the latter two found in sympatry at one location), suggesting that M. leruthi is a complex of at least three species with a putative centre of origin in England.

中文翻译：

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Microniphargus属（甲壳纲，两栖类）：证据表明三个谱系分布在整个欧洲西北部，并转移到假尼古丁鳄科

最初基于在比利时收集并放置在Niphargidae科的单型属中的样品来描述Microniphargus leruthi Schellenberg，1934年（Amphipoda：Niphargidae）。然而，它的形态以及最近的系统发育研究的一些细节表明，Microniphargus可能更密切相关的Pseudoniphargus（足目：Pseudoniphargidae）比Niphargus。此外，从爱尔兰到德国，M。leruthi的射程超过1469公里，这是惊人的，因为只有少数节动物证实射程超过200公里。找出M. leruthi的系统发育位置并检查它是否可能是隐性物种的复合体，我们从爱尔兰，英国和比利时收集了材料，然后对线粒体细胞色素C氧化酶亚基1基因以及核28S核糖体基因的片段进行了测序。这两个标记的系统发育分析证实，Microniphargus接近Pseudoniphargus比Niphargus，引领我们重新分配Microniphargus到Pseudoniphargidae。我们还确定了分别在爱尔兰，比利时和英格兰以及仅在英国存在的三个全等线粒体核谱系（后两个在一个位置的共生体中发现），表明勒鲁希氏菌 是由至少三个物种组成的复合体，其起源在英格兰。