Abstract. The genus Arion includes several slug species, some of which are considered to be a pest to both cultivated and wild flora. Within this genus, the Arion ater complex comprises two different morphological forms: Arion rufus and A. ater, but there is no consensus about their species status. Their phylogenetic relationships have been recently solved, both of them belonging to different phylogenetic clades, but their species status is still unclear (as different clades are not always different species). For this reason, the aim of this study was to precisely identify these species status by employing the up-to-date multi-rate Poisson tree processes (mPTP) methodology as well as the classic methodology of genetic distances, both of which have three different mitochondrial genes. Results confirmed that both A. ater and A. rufus are independent evolutionary clades, and the high genetic distances between them (K2P distances ranged between 9.1 and 16.4 %, depending on genes) together with mPTP analyses, supported the idea that the clades correspond to different species. Results will be useful for the classification of these specific species as well as for developing proper pest control methodologies and conservation policies in both cultivated and wild plants.

中文翻译：

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走向解开 slug <i>A。特-A。rufus</i> complex (Gastropoda Arionidae)：新的遗传方法

摘要。Arion 属包括几种蛞蝓物种，其中一些被认为是栽培和野生植物群的害虫。在该属中，Arion ater 复合体包括两种不同的形态形式：Arion rufus 和 A. ate，但关于它们的物种地位并没有达成共识。它们的系统发育关系最近得到了解决，它们都属于不同的系统发育进化枝，但它们的物种状态仍不清楚（因为不同的进化枝并不总是不同的物种）。出于这个原因，本研究的目的是通过采用最新的多速率泊松树过程 (mPTP) 方法以及遗传距离的经典方法来精确识别这些物种的状态，这两种方法都具有三种不同的线粒体基因。结果证实 A. ate 和 A. rufus 是独立的进化进化枝，它们之间的高遗传距离（K2P 距离介于 9.1 和 16.4% 之间，取决于基因）以及 mPTP 分析，支持了进化枝对应于不同物种的观点。结果将有助于对这些特定物种进行分类，以及在栽培和野生植物中制定适当的害虫控制方法和保护政策。