Evolutionary patterns in chromosome numbers in neotropical Lepidoptera. I. Chromosomes of the Heliconiini (family Nymphalidae: subfamily Nymphalinae)

Chromosome counts in meiotic metaphase plates in the gonads of 67 of the probable 68 species of mimetic neotropical heliconian butterflies (Nymphalidae), representing 1524 individuals in 617 subspecies and geographically separate populations from southern Texas to northern Argentina, revealed a consistent haploid number of n = 21 in the genus Heliconius (except for the most advanced species with n = 33, 37, 56, and 60) and n = 31 in the more primitive genera (Eueides, Dryas, Dryadula, Agraulis, and Dione), with a transitional genus (Neruda) showing three species with n = 28-32, 21-22 + 5-10 "microchromosomes", and 20-22 + 1-5 "microchromosomes". The genus Laparus, with a single polymorphic species doris, probably an offshoot of early Heliconius, shows wide karyotypic variation (n = 20-30, 38) sometimes even within a single individual. The two most primitive genera also show much variation: Podotricha has two species with n = 9 and n = 26-29; and Philaethria shows many phenotypically similar species, two with n = 29 and a still uncertain number (at least 3) with n = 88 (most common), 67-72 (most widespread), 62 (very restricted geographically), 52, 21, and 12. Several interspecific hybrids (Heliconius cydno x H. melpomene) showed normal chromosome pairing, while deficient pairing was seen in intersubspecific hybrids in Eueides tales and Heliconius sara. The importance of these results in the evolutionary study of polytypic tropical species is discussed.

[Cloning and analysis of adenine nucleotide translocase gene in Helicoverpa armigera]

A cDNA clone encoding the ADP/ATP translocase in Helicoverpa armigera has been identified by RT-PCR, 5'and 3'RACE methods. Sequence analysis shows that it is 1,190 bp long and contains a single open reading frame (ORF, 133-1,033 bp) encoding a protein of 300 amino acids (GenBank submission number, AY253868). The protein has a 22 aa signal peptide on its N-terminal, which leads the protein locating onto the inner membrane of the mitochondria. It also has three conserved domains of the mitochondrial carrier protein forming a channel to exchange ATP and ADP energy molecule through the inner membrane of the mitochondria. It shows extensive similarities to the known ADP/ATP translocase poly-peptides. The ADP/ATP translocase similarity was up to 90% in the Lepidoptera.

The signal environment is more important than diet or chemical specialization in the evolution of warning coloration

Aposematic coloration, or warning coloration, is a visual signal that acts to minimize contact between predator and unprofitable prey. The conditions favoring the evolution of aposematic coloration remain largely unidentified. Recent work suggests that diet specialization and resultant toxicity may play a role in facilitating the evolution and persistence of warning coloration. Using a phylogenetic approach, we investigated the evolution of larval warning coloration in the genus Papilio (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae). Our results indicate that there are at least four independent origins of aposematic larval coloration within Papilio. Controlling for phylogenetic relatedness among Papilio taxa, we found no evidence supporting the hypothesis that either diet specialization or chemical specialization facilitated the origin of aposematic larvae. However, there was a significant relationship between the signal environment and the evolution of aposematic larvae. Specifically, Papilio lineages feeding on herbaceous or narrow-leaved plants, regardless of the plants' taxonomic affiliation, were more likely to evolve aposematic larvae than were lineages feeding only on trees/shrubs or broad-leaved plants. These results demonstrate that factors other than diet specialization, such as the signal environment of predator-prey interactions, may play a large role in the initial evolution and persistence of aposematic coloration.

A new species of Moneuptychia Forster (Lepidoptera: Satyrinae, Euptychiina) from the highlands of Southeastern Brazil

This paper describes a new species of Moneuptychia Forster from the summits of the Mantiqueira and Espinhaço mountain ranges in southeastern Brazil, details the morphology of adults and immatures of this species, and discusses the definition of the genus Moneuptychia.

Hawk moths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) of Turkey and their zoogeographical distribution

The family Sphingidae (Lepidoptera) has 63 species in the western Palaearctic Region of the world. Thirty-four out of 63 species present in Turkey either permanently or temporarily. The subfamilies Smerinthinae, Sphinginae and Macroglossinae are consisted of 7, 4, and 23 species respectively Ten out of 34 species were captured in the field. Available knowledge of Sphingidae of Turkey was evaluated and summarized with this study as well.

Phylogeny of Apaturinae butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) based on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene

The phylogenetic relationships of genera in the subfamily Apaturinae were examined using mtDNA sequence data from 1,471 bp of cytochrome oxidase subunit?(COI). The mitochondrial COI gene from a total of 16 species in 11 genera were sequenced to obtain mtDNA data, along with those of 4 species obtained from GenBank, to construct the MP and the NJ trees using Athyma jina, Penthema adelma, Polyura nepenthes, and Charaxes bernardus as outgroups. The transitions at the third codon positions of the COI data set were found saturated, but they were retained for analysis, because they contain the majority of the phylogenetic information. The impacts of equal weight assumptions for all characters in the parsimonious analysis were assessed by potential alternations in clades in response to different transition/transversion weighting schemes. The results indicated four distinct major groups in Apaturinae. Moreover, several well supported and stable clades were found in the Apaturinae. The study also identified undetermined taxon groups whose positions were weakly supported and were subject to changes under different weighting schemes. Within the Apaturinae, the clustering results are approximately identical to the classical morphological classification. The mtDNA data suggest the genus Mimathyma as a monophyletic group. Lelecella limenitoides and Dilipa fenestra have close relationship with very strong support in all phylogenetic trees. It also supports the taxonomic revision of removing several species from Apatura to other genera, namely Mimathyma schrenckii, M. chevana, M. nycteis, Chitoria subcaerulea, C. fasciola, C. pallas, and Helcyra subalba.

Genetic isolation and cryptic variation within the Lycaena xanthoides species group (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

Species exist as biological entities with patterns of discontinuous phenotypic variation. However, the distinctness of taxa is called into question when morphological intermediates exist in areas of sympatry, reflecting either gene flow among variants of a species or hybridization between different species. Studying the partitioning of genetic variation provides a means to discern between the two possibilities. We used genetic and morphometric approaches to investigate the degree of isolation among the three members of the Lycaena xanthoides species group. Lycaena xanthoides, L. editha, and L. dione are predominantly allopatric and have been treated both as three separate species and as a single polytypic species. Using 618 bp of the mitochondrial gene COII, we found little phylogenetic resolution, but significant among-taxa genetic variance partitioning. Divergence among these taxa has been relatively recent, as evidenced by relatively low pairwise sequence divergence. Also, the existence of two well-supported clades within L. xanthoides sensu stricto, concordant with the Transverse Ranges of southern California, indicates divergence within this taxon, and a possible cryptic species. Significant morphological differentiation between L. editha and L. xanthoides supports the hypothesis that these taxa represent separate gene pools. Populations occurring in a narrow zone where the two species' ranges approach are characterized by intermediate morphology, suggesting incomplete morphological divergence or recent hybridization. These findings highlight the utility of genetic data in inferring species boundaries and the identification of cryptic lineages.

Structure and composition of the assemblage of parasitoids associated to Phyllocnistis citrella Pupae Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) in citrus orchards in Southern Brazil

The structure and composition of the assemblage of pupal parasitoids of Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton, the citrus leafminer, were studied in two citrus orchards (Citrus deliciosa Tenore cv. Montenegrina and Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck x Citrus reticulata Blanco hybrid Murcott), in Montenegro County (29 degrees 68'S and 51 degrees 46'W), southern Brazil. At fortnightly samplings, from July 2001 to June 2003, all the new shoots from 24 randomly selected trees were inspected. The species richness reached five native species in the Murcott orchard, and six in Montenegrina. In Murcott, the presence of Ageniaspis citricola (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), an exotic species, was detected in the first year of sampling, probably migrating from the nearby areas where it had been released for the miner control. In Montenegrina, its presence was only registered in the second year. A. citricola in both areas was dominant and changed the community structure of parasitoid complex of P. citrella in both orchards.

Biology and occurrence of Inga Busk species (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae) on Cerrado host plants

We sampled Inga Busk species caterpillars weekly in the cerrado on 15 plants of Diospyros burchellii Hern. (Ebenaceae) from January 2002 to December 2003, on 30 plants of Caryocar brasiliense (Caryocaraceae) from July 2003 to June 2004, and since 1991 on several other plant species. In total we found 15 species of Inga on cerrado host plants. Nine species were very rare, with only one to five adults reared. The other six species occurred throughout the year, with higher abundance during the dry season, from May to July, coinciding with overall peaks of caterpillar abundance in the cerrado. Caterpillars of the genus Inga build shelters by tying and lining two mature or old leaves with silk and frass, where they rest and develop (a common habit found in Oecophorinae). The final instar builds a special envelope inside the leaf shelter, where it will complete the larval stage and pupate. The species are very difficult to distinguish in the immature stages. External features were useful in identifying only four species: I. haemataula (Meyrick), I. phaecrossa (Meyrick), I. ancorata (Walsingham), and I. corystes (Meyrick). These four species are polyphagous and have wide geographical distributions. In this paper we provide information on the natural history and host plants of six Inga species common on cerrado host plants, for which there are no reports in the literature.

A proteomic approach to study Cry1Ac binding proteins and their alterations in resistant Heliothis virescens larvae

Binding of the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac toxin to specific receptors in the midgut brush border membrane is required for toxicity. Alteration of these receptors is the most reported mechanism of resistance. We used a proteomic approach to identify Cry1Ac binding proteins from intestinal brush border membrane (BBM) prepared from Heliothis virescens larvae. Cry1Ac binding BBM proteins were detected in 2D blots and identified using peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) or de novo sequencing. Among other proteins, the membrane bound alkaline phosphatase (HvALP), and a novel phosphatase, were identified as Cry1Ac binding proteins. Reduction of HvALP expression levels correlated directly with resistance to Cry1Ac in the YHD2-B strain of H. virescens. To study additional proteomic alterations in resistant H. virescens larvae, we used two-dimensional differential in-gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) to compare three independent resistant strains with a susceptible strain. Our results validate the use of proteomic approaches to identify toxin binding proteins and proteome alterations in resistant insects.

Contributions to the knowledge of papilionoidea (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) fauna from northern Cyprus

The local distribution of the superfamily Papilionoidea was investigated in Northern Cyprus. As a result of this study, a total of 45 species belonging to families Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae, Satyridae and Nymphalidae was identified; out of which 19 species are new records for the study area. The Nymphalidae had the greatest number of species following by Pieridae, Satyridae, Lycaenidae and Papilionidae. The most abundant species in the study area were Pieris brassicae (L.) (19% of the catches), Polyommatus icarus (Rott.) (11%), Euchloe ausonia (Hbn.) (5%) and Pararge aegeria (L.) (5%).

A novel target-specific gene delivery system combining baculovirus and sequence-specific long interspersed nuclear elements

Transposable elements are valuable for somatic and germ-line transformation. However, long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) have not been used because of poor information on the transposition mechanism. We have developed a novel gene delivery system combining baculovirus AcNPV and two silkworm LINEs, SART1 and R1, which integrate into specific sequences of telomeric repeats and 28S ribosomal DNA, respectively. When two LINEs containing the enhanced green fluorescent protein gene recombined into AcNPV were infected into fifth instar larvae of the silkworm, we observed target-specific retrotransposition of LINEs at 72h post-infection, using polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing. Telomere- and 28S rDNA-specific transposition occurred in all nine tissues tested, including the ovary and testis. This is the first demonstration of site-specific gene delivery in living larvae. Insertion efficiencies were dependent on the virus titer for injection and the host strains of Bombyx mori. Using this system, we successfully detected the intergeneration transmission of retrotransposed sequences. In addition, AcNPV-mediated SART1 also transposed into telomere of another lepidopteran, Orgyia recens, suggesting that this system is useful for a wide variety of AcNPV-infectious insects. Site-specific gene delivery by virus-mediated LINE will be a potential gene therapy tool to avoid harmful unexpected insertions.

Colonization of and radiation in South America by butterflies in the subtribe Phyciodina (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

The historical biogeography of insects in South America is largely unknown, as dated phylogenies have not been available for most groups. We have studied the phylogenetic relationships and historical biogeography of a subtribe of butterflies, Phyciodina in the family Nymphalidae, based on one mitochondrial gene (COI) and two nuclear gene regions (EF-1alpha and wingless). The subtribe comprises 89 species mainly found in tropical South America, with a few species in North America and the Greater Antilles. We find that the enigmatic genus Antillea is sister to the rest of Phyciodina, and suggest that it should be included in the subtribe. Several genera are found to be polyphyletic or nested within another genus, and are proposed to be synonymised. These are Dagon, Castilia, Telenassa and Janatella, which we propose should be synonymised with Eresia. Brazilian "Ortilia" form an independent lineage and require a new genus name. The diversification of Phyciodina has probably taken place over the past about 34 MYA. The ancestral phyciodine colonised South America from North America through a possible landspan that connected the Greater Antilles to South America about 34MYA. A vicariance event left the ancestral Antillea on the Greater Antilles, while the ancestral 0e on South America colonised the Guyanan Shield and soon after the Brazilian Shield. We hypothesise that the Brazilian Shield was an important area for the diversification of Phyciodina. From there, the ancestor of Anthanassa, Eresia and Tegosa colonised NW South America, where especially Eresia diversified in concert with the rising of the Andes beginning about 20 MYA. Central America was colonised from NW South America about 15 MYA by the ancestors of Anthanassa and Phyciodes. Our study is the first to use a dated phylogeny to study the historical biogeography of a group of South American species of butterflies.

Do larvae of species in macrolepidopteran assemblages share traits that influence susceptibility to parasitism?

Research on how morphology, behavior, and life histories of insects determine their susceptibility to parasitism has primarily focused on the traits of single host species. Very little research has been conducted attempting to determine if similarities or differences in the traits of co-occurring species, on a single plant or in a habitat, influence levels of parasitism imposed on any member of an assemblage. In this study, we use categorical and regression tree analyses to determine which traits of the larvae of macrolepidopteran species are associated with highest levels of parasitism. Of a variety of morphological, behavioral, and ecological traits of 72 species (representing eight families), caterpillar color was the trait that had the greatest influence on susceptibility to parasitism. The highest levels of parasitism were associated primarily with green larvae. These results suggest that the herbivore species composition and, specifically, the traits possessed by the species may influence community or assemblagewide patterns of parasitism. That is, sharing of traits that enhance host finding and successful parasitism may result in associational susceptibility to parasitism, whereas co-occurrence with species that differ morphologically, behaviorally, or ecologically may reduce the likelihood of parasitism and thus result in associational resistance. The concepts of associational resistance and susceptibility have historically been restricted to plant-plant interactions. The extension of these concepts to herbivores is novel. If found to be widespread, these interactions can have significant impacts on our expectations of the effectiveness of biological control agents.

Kinetics of plasmid transfer among Bacillus cereus group strains within lepidopteran larvae

The cry toxin encoding plasmid pHT73 was transferred from Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki KT0 to six B. cereus group strains in three lepidopteran (Spodoptera exigua, Plutella xyllostella and Helicoverpa armigera) larvae by conjugation. The conjugation kinetics of the plasmid was precisely studied during the larval infection using a new protocol. The infections were performed with both vegetative and sporulated strains. However, larval death only occurred when infections were made with spore and toxin preparations. Likewise, spore germinations of both donor and recipient strains were only observed in killed larvae, 44-56 h post-infection. Accordingly, kinetics showed that gene transfer between B. thuringiensis strain KT0 and other B. cereus strains only took place in dead larvae among vegetatively growing bacteria. The conjugational transfer ratios varied among different strain combinations and different larvae. The highest transfer ratio reached 5.83 x 10(-6) CFU/donor between the KT0 and the AW05R recipient in Helicoverpa armigera, and all transconjugants gained the ability to produce the insecticidal crystal. These results indicated that horizontal gene transfer among B. cereus group strains might play a key role for the acquisition of extra plasmids and evolution of these strains in toxin susceptible insect larvae.

[Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Diurna) in the high-mountain southeastern Russia]

Groups of butterfly species established under high-mountain conditions in the southeastern Russia were described. The role of species with different distribution including arctic-alpine and alpine ones typical of these conditions in the species composition was considered. Fifteen local faunas inhabiting the areas of Buryatia, Chita, Amur, and Sakhalin Regions, and Khabarovsk and Maritime Territories were taxonomically analyzed. The common faunistic background was found in the mountains of the Mongolian-South-Siberian and East-Siberian provinces, while only some elements of the high-mountain fauna were observed at individual elevations of the South-Okhotsk province.

Phylogenetic dispersion of host use in a tropical insect herbivore community

Theory has long predicted that insect community structure should be related to host plant phylogeny. We examined the distribution of insect herbivore associations with respect to host plant phylogeny for caterpillars (Lepidoptera), beetles (Coleoptera), and grasshoppers and relatives (orthopteroids) in a New Guinea rain forest. We collected herbivores from three lineages of closely related woody plants and from more distantly related plant lineages in the same locality to examine the phylogenetic scale at which host specificity can be detected in a community sample. By grafting molecular phylogenies inferred from three different genes into a supertree, we developed a phylogenetic hypothesis for the host community. Feeding experiments were performed on more than 100 000 live insects collected from the 62 host species. We examined patterns of host use with respect to the host plant phylogeny. As predicted, we found a negative relationship between faunal similarity, defined as the proportion of all herbivores feeding on two hosts that are shared between the hosts, and the phylogenetic distance between hosts based on DNA sequence divergence. Host phylogenetic distance explained a significant fraction of the variance (25%) in herbivore community similarity, in spite of the many ecological factors that probably influence feeding patterns. Herbivore community similarity among congeneric hosts was high (50% on average) compared to overlap among host families (20-30% on average). We confirmed this pattern using the nearest taxon index (NTI) and net relatedness index (NRI) to quantify the extent of phylogenetic clustering in particular herbivore associations and to test whether patterns are significantly different from chance expectations. We found that 40% of caterpillar species showed significant phylogenetic clustering with respect to host plant associations, somewhat more so than for beetles or orthopteroids. We interpret this as evidence that a substantial fraction of tropical forest insect herbivores are clade specialists.

Molecular phylogeny of silk-producing insects based on 16S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit I genes

We have examined the molecular-phylogenetic relationships between nonmulberry and mulberry silkworm species that belong to the families Saturniidae, Bombycidae and Lasiocampidae using 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (coxI) gene sequences. Aligned nucleotide sequences of 16S rRNA and coxI from 14 silk-producing species were used for construction of phylogenetic trees by maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony methods. The tree topology on the basis of 16S rRNA supports monophyly for members of Saturniidae and Bombycidae. Weighted parsimony analysis weighted towards transversions relative to transitions (ts, tv4) for coxI resulted in more robust bootstrap support over unweighted parsimony and favours the 16S rRNA tree topology. Combined analysis reflected clear biogeographic pattern, and agrees with morphological and cytological data.

Phylogeny, historical biogeography, and taxonomic ranking of Parnassiinae (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae) based on morphology and seven genes

We tested the taxonomic utility of morphology and seven mitochondrial or nuclear genes in a phylogenetic reconstruction of swallowtail butterflies in the subfamily Parnassiinae. Our data included 236 morphological characters and DNA sequences for seven genes that are commonly used to infer lepidopteran relationships (COI+COII, ND5, ND1, 16S, EF-1alpha, and wg; total 5775 bp). Nuclear genes performed best for inferring phylogenies, particularly at higher taxonomic levels, while there was substantial variation in performance among mitochondrial genes. Multiple analyses of molecular data (MP, ML and Bayesian) consistently produced a tree topology different from that obtained by morphology alone. Based on molecular evidence, sister-group relationships were confirmed between the genera Hypermnestra and Parnassius, as well as between Archon and Luehdorfia, while the monophyly of the subfamily was weakly supported. We recognize three tribes within Parnassiinae, with Archon and Luehdorfia forming the tribe Luehdorfiini Tutt, 1896 [stat. rev.]. Three fossil taxa were incorporated into a molecular clock analysis with biogeographic time constraints. Based on dispersal-vicariance (DIVA) analysis, the most recent common ancestor of Parnassiinae occurred in the Iranian Plateau and Central Asia to China. Early diversification of Parnassiinae took place at the same time that India collided into Eurasia, 65-42 million years ago.

Species traits as predictors of lepidopteran composition in restored and remnant tallgrass prairies

Restoration ecologists are increasingly turning to the development of trait-filter models, which predict how evolved traits limit species membership within assemblages depending on existing abiotic or biotic constraints, as a tool to explain how species move from a regional species pool into a restored community. Two often untested assumptions of these models, however, are that species traits can reliably predict species' broadscale distribution and that the effects of traits on community membership do not vary between restored and remnant habitats. The goals of this study were to determine whether combinations of ecological traits predispose moth species toward recolonization of restored prairies and to assess the degree to which restored prairies contain moth assemblages comparable with prairie remnants. In 2004, we collected 259 moth species from 13 tallgrass prairie remnants and restorations in central Iowa. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to identify significant combinations of ecological traits that were shared by groups of moth species. Logistic regression was then employed to test for significant effects of the trait combinations on the frequency of prairie sites occupied by moth species. PCA partitioned moth traits into four axes that explained a total of 81.6% of the variance. Logistic regression detected significant effects for all four PCA axes on the fraction of sites occupied by moths. Species frequently filtered from the regional species pool into prairies were those that had long flight periods and were multivoltine, displayed a feeding preference for legumes but not other forb families, and were regionally abundant but relatively small in body size. Ordination revealed significant differences in moth communities among prairies, suggesting that species traits and habitat characteristics likely interact to create observed patterns of species recolonization of restorations. Thus, the optimal approach to restoring the lepidopteran fauna of tallgrass prairies may involve locating prairie plantings adjacent to habitat remnants.

Higher phylogeny of zygaenid moths (Insecta: Lepidoptera) inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial sequence data and the evolution of larval cuticular cavities for chemical defence

Zygaenid moths are capable of releasing hydrogen cyanide in their defense by enzymatic break-down of cyanoglucosides, but only larvae of chalcosiine and zygaenine moths store cyanogenic compounds in cuticular cavities and thus are able to discharge defense droplets, which effectively deter potential predators. A previously proposed phylogeny of Zygaenidae hypothesized a sister group relationship of chalcosiine and zygaenine moths because of their similar larval defense system. Not all chalcosiine taxa possess cuticular cavities, however, and a comparable defense mechanism has been reported in larvae of the zygaenoid family Heterogynidae. Considering sequence data of seven molecular loci, the present study estimates the posterior probability of phylogenetic hypotheses explaining the occurrence of larval cuticular cavities. The molecular data confirm the previous exclusion of Himantopteridae from Zygaenidae and suggest their close affinity to Somabrachyidae. The sequence data also corroborate the recently proposed exclusion of the Phaudinae from the Zygaenidae, because this subfamily is recovered in a reasonably well supported species cluster consisting of members of the families Lacturidae, Limacodidae, Himantopteridae, and Somabrachyidae. We consequently agree to raise Phaudinae to family rank. Within Zygaenidae, the subfamilies Callizygaeninae, Chalcosiinae, and Procridinae most likely constitute a monophyletic group, which is sister to the Zygaeninae. Our results imply that cuticular cavities were probably present in the larvae of the most recent common ancestor of Zygaenidae. Heterogynidae cannot be confirmed as sister taxon to this family, but appear at the very first split of the Zygaenoidea, although with poor support. The specific pattern of taxa in the molecular phylogeny showing larval cuticular cavities opens the possibility that these structures could have been already present in the most recent common ancestor of the Zygaenoidea.

Genomics of hybrid poplar (Populus trichocarpa× deltoides) interacting with forest tent caterpillars (Malacosoma disstria): normalized and full-length cDNA libraries, expressed sequence tags, and a cDNA microarray for the study of insect-induced defences

As part of a genomics strategy to characterize inducible defences against insect herbivory in poplar, we developed a comprehensive suite of functional genomics resources including cDNA libraries, expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and a cDNA microarray platform. These resources are designed to complement the existing poplar genome sequence and poplar (Populus spp.) ESTs by focusing on herbivore- and elicitor-treated tissues and incorporating normalization methods to capture rare transcripts. From a set of 15 standard, normalized or full-length cDNA libraries, we generated 139,007 3'- or 5'-end sequenced ESTs, representing more than one-third of the c. 385,000 publicly available Populus ESTs. Clustering and assembly of 107,519 3'-end ESTs resulted in 14,451 contigs and 20,560 singletons, altogether representing 35,011 putative unique transcripts, or potentially more than three-quarters of the predicted c. 45,000 genes in the poplar genome. Using this EST resource, we developed a cDNA microarray containing 15,496 unique genes, which was utilized to monitor gene expression in poplar leaves in response to herbivory by forest tent caterpillars (Malacosoma disstria). After 24 h of feeding, 1191 genes were classified as up-regulated, compared to only 537 down-regulated. Functional classification of this induced gene set revealed genes with roles in plant defence (e.g. endochitinases, Kunitz protease inhibitors), octadecanoid and ethylene signalling (e.g. lipoxygenase, allene oxide synthase, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase), transport (e.g. ABC proteins, calreticulin), secondary metabolism [e.g. polyphenol oxidase, isoflavone reductase, (-)-germacrene D synthase] and transcriptional regulation [e.g. leucine-rich repeat transmembrane kinase, several transcription factor classes (zinc finger C3H type, AP2/EREBP, WRKY, bHLH)]. This study provides the first genome-scale approach to characterize insect-induced defences in a woody perennial providing a solid platform for functional investigation of plant-insect interactions in poplar.

Genetic differentiation among various populations of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae)

Genetic variation among 14 populations of Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) from USA (Geneva, New York), Brazil (Brasilia), Japan (Okayama), The Philippines (Caragan de Oyo), Uzbekistan (Tashkent), France (Montpellier), Benin (Cotonou), South Africa (Johannesburg), Réunion Island (Montvert), and five localities in Australia (Adelaide, Brisbane, Mareeba, Melbourne, Sydney) were assessed by analysis of allozyme frequencies at seven polymorphic loci. Most of the populations were not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and had a deficit in heterozygotes. The global differentiation among populations was estimated by the fixation index (Fst) at 0.103 for the 14 populations and at 0.047 when populations from Australia and Japan, which differed most and had a strong genetic structure, were excluded from the analysis. By contrast, the populations from Benin (West Africa) and Brazil (South America) were very similar to each other. Genetic differentiation among the populations was not correlated with geographical distance.

[Taxonomic relations between forms in evolutionary young complexes of lepidopterans (Insecta, Lepidoptera)]

Morphological characteristics of the prototype wing pattern can be used in lepidopteran population studies as markers of population groups and interpopulation boundaries. The centers of phenotypic variation serving as speciation centers were recognized within the range of polytypic species. Revision of the polytypic complex Polyommatus icarus Rott. allowed us to recognize six specific and six subspecific taxa.

[Genetical distances between nominative and paratypical forms of Colias crocea Fourc. and C. erate Esp. (lepidoptera, Pieridae) according to RAPD-PCR analysis]

Genetic polymorphism of the two Palaearctic sulphur butterflies Colias crocea Fourc. and Colias erate Esp. was examined in serial samples using RAPD-PCR analysis of total cellular DNA. The primers OPA-01, OPA-03, OPA-04, OPA-08 were used. Taxon-specific molecular markers have been found for each species (markers OPA-08(250), OPA-08(380) were associated with rounded valve margin; marker OPA-04(400) was associated with angled valve margin). The genetic diversity of C. erate is considerably less than that of C. crocea. Genetic evidence for interspecific hybridization between C. crocea and C. erate is presented. Interspecific hybrids in question (paratypical forms such as f. chlorodona and f. pseudochrysodona) are situated at intermediate position with regard to the parental species on dendrograms (UPGMA) and maximal spanning trees (MST). Completely additional RAPD-spectra were not obtained though taxonomic status of these paratypical forms stay still vague. Only f. eratoides has DNA markers that are absent in spectra of other specimens tested. Probably it is a cryptic species unrevealed by common morphological and biochemical methods and its investigation by the methods of molecular genetics (sequence of cloned DNA) is very desirable.