A DNA barcode is a short, standardised stretch of genes that works like a fingerprint — enough to tell one species from another. Below is the molecular trace Sphinx gordius has left across the world's sequence archives.
At a glance
DNA specimens15
BINs1
Marker genes1
Countries2
The DNA barcodethe species' typical barcode, built from every sequenced specimen
COI-5P658 bp consensus14 specimens
ACGT
▸ drag or hover over the strip to read any position — letter and how much it varies
Violet ticks below the strip = positions where individuals differ; flat = the species' unchanging signature. 98% of positions are identical in every specimen.
Where individuals differ — all 10 variable positions, in barcode order
Each circle is a barcode variant; bigger = more specimens, colour = region. Lines join the most similar variants and the tick marks count the mutations between them — a tight cluster is one “dialect”, a long line a more divergent lineage. Click a circle to list its actual specimens.
Diversity (π)0.64%
Haplotypes3
BIN1
Most divergent pair1.4%
N.America
Closest relatives by DNA barcode
The species whose COI barcode is most similar to this one — a quick “who is this most like”. The percentage is how much the barcode differs; it approximates, but is not, the full evolutionary tree.
★ the standard DNA barcode for this group — the short region actually read to tell this species apart. The rest are extra genes sequenced along the way.
★COI-5P
animal barcode
08Occurrence & distribution
Record type692 records
Wild obs. + sensor61
Museum / vouchered631
Range
Area of Occupancy AOO1 444 km²
Wildobservation + sensor
Human sightings and records, or camera-trap / sensor detections — someone (or a device) saw or captured the species in the wild.
Coordinate accuracy28% within 1 km
≤100 m 8≤1 km 7≤10 km 10>10 km 28
53 georeferenced · 8 without coordinates
Open the mapobservation + sensor61
Museum / Voucheredphysical evidence
Backed by a physical specimen — a herbarium sheet, sample or voucher held in a collection. “Vouchered” means supported by material evidence, not just an observation.
Coordinate accuracy39% within 1 km
≤100 m 28≤1 km 163≤10 km 257>10 km 38
486 georeferenced · 145 without coordinates
Open the institutions mapphysical evidence631
Wildobservation + sensor
Human sightings and records, or camera-trap / sensor detections — someone (or a device) saw or captured the species in the wild.
10Collections & institutions
Holding institutions12 of 23 geolocated
Institutions and collections holding physical, vouchered specimens of this species — click a row to fly to it on the map.
Institution
Specimens
East Lansing, US
178
Cambridge, US
175
New Haven, US
103
St. Paul, US
47
Saint John, CA
27
Colorado State Universitylocation not on record
25
Cleveland Museum of Natural History, OH (CLEV)location not on record
21
Toronto, CA
13
Philadelphia, US
9
King Saud Universitylocation not on record
3
Natural History Museum of Utahlocation not on record
3
Cornell University Insect Collectionlocation not on record
3
Universidad Católica de Manizaleslocation not on record
3
University of Alabamalocation not on record
3
Chicago, US
3
UDlocation not on record
2
SOVTlocation not on record
2
Denver, US
1
Mississippi State, US
1
Vernal, US
1
Espace pour la vielocation not on record
1
OSUClocation not on record
1
US
1
23 institutions · 626 of 631 vouchered records shown · 5 without an institution code
