Melanargia Galathea Microsatellite Genotypes from Swiss Biodiversity Monitoring

Swiss biodiversity data contains individual genotypes assessed at six nuclear microsatellite loci for the Melanargia galathea butterfly. The data was collected by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment as part of the Biodiversity Monitoring (BDM) of Switzerland grid and published in 2023. It supports research into genetic structure and diversity in fragmented grassland habitats.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial genetic structure by correlating genetic distance between individuals with their sampling site identifiers.
• Assess genetic diversity within and among populations using allele frequency data from the six microsatellite loci.
• Model the impact of habitat fragmentation on gene flow by using genotype data across the Swiss monitoring grid.
• Validate population genetic simulation models with empirical genotype data from a well-defined sampling framework.

Strengths

• Genotypes assessed at six standardized microsatellite loci per individual.
• Data collected via the systematic Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland grid, ensuring structured spatial sampling.

Limitations

• Original geographic coordinates are not included, limiting fine-scale spatial analysis.
• The specific number of sampled individuals (rows) is unknown, preventing assessment of statistical power.

Provenance

Source

Swiss Federal Office for the Environment; Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland, published via ENVIDAT.

Collection Method

Individual butterfly specimens collected throughout Switzerland along the regular BDM grid, with genotypes assessed at six microsatellite loci.

Freshness

Data refers to a publication from 2023.

Geography

Switzerland (specific coordinates undisclosed in this dataset).