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Fang R, Tian X, Liang D, Zhang P. Chromosome-level genome assembly of the forest pest Achelura yunnanensis (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae). Sci Data 2024; 11:995. [PMID: 39266566 PMCID: PMC11393064 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03849-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Achelura yunnanensis is a destructive pest of forests, causing substantial damage on tree growth and severe economic losses. Additionally, as a daytime-active moth, this species also holds important scientific value for investigating the genetic mechanisms governing day-night activity patterns of Lepidoptera. To facilitate effective pest control and deepen our understanding of the diurnal behavior's genetic basis of moths, genomic data for this species are crucial. In this study, we present a chromosome-level reference genome of A. yunnanensis (368.15 Mb in 32 chromosomes; scaffold N50 = 12.61 Mb; BUSCO completeness = 98.0%). Genome annotation shows that the new assembly comprises 37.10% (136.55 Mb) repetitive elements, 1,828 non-coding RNAs, and 15,523 protein-coding genes. Genes involved in lipid metabolism and xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism, such as cytochrome P450 families, experienced significant expansion in the A. yunnanensis genome. The chromosome-level genome of A. yunnanensis provides a valuable genomic resource for devising novel pest control strategies, and will also help to study the genetic mechanism of the shift of diurnal behavior in Lepidoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- RunZhao Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Xiao Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Dan Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
| | - Peng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
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2
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Hart JD, Pandolfi A, Jones T, Jenkins DG. Ground-Based Pyrethroid Adulticides Reduce Mosquitoes But Not Nontarget Insects in Central Florida. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MOSQUITO CONTROL ASSOCIATION 2024; 40:125-136. [PMID: 38978491 DOI: 10.2987/24-7177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
As stewards of public and environmental health, mosquito control agencies are rightfully concerned about impacts on nontarget organisms. This study examined the impact of a modern, pyrethroid based ground adulticide program using ultra-low volume applications in a metropolitan county in central Florida. Nontarget insects and mosquitoes were collected in a before-after control-impact design at 21 sites over 1.5 years. While mosquitoes were reduced, we found no evidence for reduction of nontarget insects, regardless of taxon. Night-flying Lepidoptera may experience greater risk than other nontarget taxa, but overall effects of adulticide missions on this group were low and inconsistent. Instead, meteorology, habitat, and phenology dominate patterns of nontarget abundance. Mosquito reduction was more clearly observed and corrected post-mission reduction was consistent with results expected in complex urban and suburban treatment zones.
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3
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Sondhi Y, Messcher RL, Bellantuono AJ, Storer CG, Cinel SD, Godfrey RK, Mongue AJ, Weng YM, Glass D, St Laurent RA, Hamilton CA, Earl C, Brislawn CJ, Kitching IJ, Bybee SM, Theobald JC, Kawahara AY. Day-night gene expression reveals circadian gene disco as a candidate for diel-niche evolution in moths. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240591. [PMID: 39194299 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Temporal ecological niche partitioning is an underappreciated driver of speciation. While insects have long been models for circadian biology, the genes and circuits that allow adaptive changes in diel-niches remain poorly understood. We compared gene expression in closely related day- and night-active non-model wild silk moths, with otherwise similar ecologies. Using an ortholog-based pipeline to compare RNA-Seq patterns across two moth species, we find over 25 pairs of gene orthologs showing differential expression. Notably, the gene disco, involved in circadian control, optic lobe and clock neuron development in Drosophila, shows robust adult circadian mRNA cycling in moth heads. Disco is highly conserved in moths and has additional zinc-finger domains with specific nocturnal and diurnal mutations. We propose disco as a candidate gene for the diversification of temporal diel-niche in moths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yash Sondhi
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Department of Biology, Florida International University , Miami, FL 33174, USA
- Institute for Environment, Florida International University , Miami, FL 33174, USA
| | - Rebeccah L Messcher
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | | | - Caroline G Storer
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Scott D Cinel
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - R Keating Godfrey
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Department of Biology, Florida International University , Miami, FL 33174, USA
| | - Andrew J Mongue
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Yi-Ming Weng
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Deborah Glass
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Sussex House , Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
- Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road , London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Ryan A St Laurent
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History , Washington, DC, USA
| | - Chris A Hamilton
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology & Nematology, University of Idaho , Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - Chandra Earl
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University , Tempe, AZ 852281, USA
| | | | - Ian J Kitching
- Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road , London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Seth M Bybee
- Department of Biology, Monte L. Bean Museum, Brigham Young University, 4102 Life Science Building , Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Jamie C Theobald
- Department of Biology, Florida International University , Miami, FL 33174, USA
- Institute for Environment, Florida International University , Miami, FL 33174, USA
| | - Akito Y Kawahara
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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4
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Dort H, van der Bijl W, Wahlberg N, Nylin S, Wheat CW. Genome-Wide Gene Birth-Death Dynamics Are Associated with Diet Breadth Variation in Lepidoptera. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae095. [PMID: 38976568 PMCID: PMC11229701 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Comparative analyses of gene birth-death dynamics have the potential to reveal gene families that played an important role in the evolution of morphological, behavioral, or physiological variation. Here, we used whole genomes of 30 species of butterflies and moths to identify gene birth-death dynamics among the Lepidoptera that are associated with specialist or generalist feeding strategies. Our work advances this field using a uniform set of annotated proteins for all genomes, investigating associations while correcting for phylogeny, and assessing all gene families rather than a priori subsets. We discovered that the sizes of several important gene families (e.g. those associated with pesticide resistance, xenobiotic detoxification, and/or protein digestion) are significantly correlated with diet breadth. We also found 22 gene families showing significant shifts in gene birth-death dynamics at the butterfly (Papilionoidea) crown node, the most notable of which was a family of pheromone receptors that underwent a contraction potentially linked with a shift to visual-based mate recognition. Our findings highlight the importance of uniform annotations, phylogenetic corrections, and unbiased gene family analyses in generating a list of candidate genes that warrant further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Dort
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wouter van der Bijl
- Department of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Sören Nylin
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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5
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Ancajima GP, Alicrin DA Silva M, DE Oliveira PE, Duarte M. Study of the pollen type in Neotropical hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae: Macroglossinae) collected in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Integr Zool 2024; 19:777-783. [PMID: 37989725 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
We recorded 14 pollen types belonging to 12 families of angiosperms. Pera (Peraceae) pollen type was found in all genera and was the most abundant. Our results suggest low specificity in the choice of flowers; thus, Sphingids with either short or long proboscises visited flowers of the same species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maicon Alicrin DA Silva
- Laboratory of Micropaleontology-Setembrino Petri; Department of Sedimentary and Environmental Geology, Institute of Geosciences (São Paulo University), São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Botany, Institute of Biosciences (São Paulo University), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paulo Eduardo DE Oliveira
- Laboratory of Micropaleontology-Setembrino Petri; Department of Sedimentary and Environmental Geology, Institute of Geosciences (São Paulo University), São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Botany, Institute of Biosciences (São Paulo University), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Duarte
- Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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6
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Wong MKL, Didham R. A global dataset of diel activity patterns in insect communities. Sci Data 2024; 11:558. [PMID: 38816416 PMCID: PMC11139999 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03408-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Insect activity powers ecosystems and food production globally. Although insect activity is known to vary with the rise and setting of the sun, there is surprisingly limited empirical information on how insect abundance and richness varies across the 24-hour day-night (diel) cycle. Moreover, commonly used methods for sampling insects such as light traps do not provide suitable comparisons of community properties between diel periods. We present a dataset of 1512 observations of abundance and richness during diurnal and nocturnal periods in insect communities worldwide. The data were collected from 99 studies that systematically sampled insect communities during day and night, using sampling methods minimally influenced by diel variation, such as movement-based interception traps. Spanning six continents, 41 countries and 16 insect orders, the data can support investigations into the factors influencing insect diel preferences as well as the causes and consequences of temporal changes in insect biodiversity. The data also provides key baseline information on the diel activity patterns of insect communities for long-term ecological monitoring. These pursuits take on added significance considering contemporary 'insect declines' and increasing anthropogenic impacts on diurnal and nocturnal biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark K L Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
- Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Floreat, WA, 6014, Australia.
| | - Raphael Didham
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
- Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Floreat, WA, 6014, Australia
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7
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Mao J, Cao Y, Zhang Y, Huang B, Zhao Y. A novel method for identifying key genes in macroevolution based on deep learning with attention mechanism. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19727. [PMID: 37957311 PMCID: PMC10643560 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47113-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Macroevolution can be regarded as the result of evolutionary changes of synergistically acting genes. Unfortunately, the importance of these genes in macroevolution is difficult to assess and hence the identification of macroevolutionary key genes is a major challenge in evolutionary biology. In this study, we designed various word embedding libraries of natural language processing (NLP) considering the multiple mechanisms of evolutionary genomics. A novel method (IKGM) based on three types of attention mechanisms (domain attention, kmer attention and fused attention) were proposed to calculate the weights of different genes in macroevolution. Taking 34 species of diurnal butterflies and nocturnal moths in Lepidoptera as an example, we identified a few of key genes with high weights, which annotated to the functions of circadian rhythms, sensory organs, as well as behavioral habits etc. This study not only provides a novel method to identify the key genes of macroevolution at the genomic level, but also helps us to understand the microevolution mechanisms of diurnal butterflies and nocturnal moths in Lepidoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Mao
- College of Big Data and Intelligent Engineering, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, China
| | - Yong Cao
- College of Big Data and Intelligent Engineering, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- College of Mathematics and Physics, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, China
| | - Biaosheng Huang
- College of Big Data and Intelligent Engineering, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, China
| | - Youjie Zhao
- College of Big Data and Intelligent Engineering, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, China.
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8
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Mulhair PO, Crowley L, Boyes DH, Lewis OT, Holland PWH. Opsin Gene Duplication in Lepidoptera: Retrotransposition, Sex Linkage, and Gene Expression. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad241. [PMID: 37935057 PMCID: PMC10642689 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Color vision in insects is determined by signaling cascades, central to which are opsin proteins, resulting in sensitivity to light at different wavelengths. In certain insect groups, lineage-specific evolution of opsin genes, in terms of copy number, shifts in expression patterns, and functional amino acid substitutions, has resulted in changes in color vision with subsequent behavioral and niche adaptations. Lepidoptera are a fascinating model to address whether evolutionary change in opsin content and sequence evolution are associated with changes in vision phenotype. Until recently, the lack of high-quality genome data representing broad sampling across the lepidopteran phylogeny has greatly limited our ability to accurately address this question. Here, we annotate opsin genes in 219 lepidopteran genomes representing 33 families, reconstruct their evolutionary history, and analyze shifts in selective pressures and expression between genes and species. We discover 44 duplication events in opsin genes across ∼300 million years of lepidopteran evolution. While many duplication events are species or family specific, we find retention of an ancient long-wavelength-sensitive (LW) opsin duplication derived by retrotransposition within the speciose superfamily Noctuoidea (in the families Nolidae, Erebidae, and Noctuidae). This conserved LW retrogene shows life stage-specific expression suggesting visual sensitivities or other sensory functions specific to the early larval stage. This study provides a comprehensive order-wide view of opsin evolution across Lepidoptera, showcasing high rates of opsin duplications and changes in expression patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter O Mulhair
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Liam Crowley
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | | | - Owen T Lewis
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
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9
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Piovesan M, Dos Santos FL, Orlandin E, Specht A, Mielke OHH, Casagrande MM. Natural history and morphology of immature stages of Tolype medialis (Jones, 1912) (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae: Macromphaliinae). NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 52:860-874. [PMID: 37341900 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-023-01059-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Lasiocampidae belongs to superfamily Lasiocampoidea and contains more than a thousand species nearly distributed worldwide. Despite the great species richness and wide distribution, this group has internal phylogenetic relationships still little explored and with few studies on the morphology and biology of its immatures. This study describes the immature stages of the neotropical species Tolype medialis (Jones, 1912), focusing on the morphology and natural history. The eggs of T. medialis are oviposited freely inside a conical structure, and the larvae showed gregarious behavior in all instars. The seventh and eighth instar bear a pair of abdominal rounded flattened reddish brown glands on the segments A1, A2, A7, and A8 that produce a wax-like secretion that covers the pupae and the internal walls of the cocoon. In order to add information to the Lasiocampidae family, we compare and discuss these and other traits from the morphology and natural history of T. medialis immatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mônica Piovesan
- Lab de Estudos de Lepidoptera Neotropical, Dept de Zoologia, Univ Federal do Paraná, Paraná, Brazil.
| | | | - Elton Orlandin
- Lab de Estudos de Lepidoptera Neotropical, Dept de Zoologia, Univ Federal do Paraná, Paraná, Brazil
| | | | | | - Mirna Martins Casagrande
- Lab de Estudos de Lepidoptera Neotropical, Dept de Zoologia, Univ Federal do Paraná, Paraná, Brazil
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10
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Riva F, Drapeau Picard AP, Larrivée M. Butterfly foraging is remarkably synchronous in an experimental tropical macrocosm. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20220555. [PMID: 36987612 PMCID: PMC10050915 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Diel patterns in foraging activity are dictated by a combination of abiotic, biotic and endogenous limits. Understanding these limits is important for insects because ectotherm taxa will respond more pronouncedly to ongoing climatic change, potentially affecting crucial ecosystem services. We leverage an experimental macrocosm, the Montreal Insectarium Grand Vivarium, to test the importance of endogenous mechanisms in determining temporal patterns in foraging activity of butterflies. Specifically, we assessed the degree of temporal niche partitioning among 24 butterfly species originating from the Earth's tropics within controlled environmental conditions. We found strong niche overlap, with the frequency of foraging events peaking around solar noon for 96% of the species assessed. Our models suggest that this result was not due to the extent of cloud cover, which affects radiational heating and thus limits body temperature in butterflies. Together, these findings suggest that an endogenous mechanism evolved to regulate the timing of butterfly foraging activity within suitable environmental conditions. Understanding similar mechanisms will be crucial to forecast the effects of climate change on insects, and thus on the many ecosystem services they provide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Riva
- Montréal Insectarium - Space for Life, 4581, Rue Sherbrooke East, Montréal, Québec, Canada H1X 2B2
- Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6
| | | | - Maxim Larrivée
- Montréal Insectarium - Space for Life, 4581, Rue Sherbrooke East, Montréal, Québec, Canada H1X 2B2
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11
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Requier F, Pérez-Méndez N, Andersson GKS, Blareau E, Merle I, Garibaldi LA. Bee and non-bee pollinator importance for local food security. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:196-205. [PMID: 36503679 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Pollinators are critical for food security; however, their contribution to the pollination of locally important crops is still unclear, especially for non-bee pollinators. We reviewed the diversity, conservation status, and role of bee and non-bee pollinators in 83 different crops described either as important for the global food market or of local importance. Bees are the most commonly recorded crop floral visitors. However, non-bee pollinators are frequently recorded visitors to crops of local importance. Non-bee pollinators in tropical ecosystems include nocturnal insects, bats, and birds. Importantly, nocturnal pollinators are neglected in current diurnal-oriented research and are experiencing declines. The integration of non-bee pollinators into scientific studies and conservation agenda is urgently required for more sustainable agriculture and safeguarding food security for both globally and locally important crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice Requier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, IRD, UMR Évolution, Génomes, Comportement et Écologie, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | | | - Georg K S Andersson
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Research, Lund University, 232 62, Sweden
| | - Elsa Blareau
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, IRD, UMR Évolution, Génomes, Comportement et Écologie, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Isabelle Merle
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, IRD, UMR Évolution, Génomes, Comportement et Écologie, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Lucas A Garibaldi
- Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
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12
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“Lepidoptera Flies”, but Not Always…Interactions of Caterpillars and Chrysalis with Soil. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d15010027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Lepidoptera, an order of insects traditionally linked to the aerial habitat, are much more diverse in their living environment than the clichéd image we may have of them. The imago stage, which is the most visible in these insects, is not the one that has the most interaction with the environment (usually caterpillars) nor the one that lasts the longest (very often chrysalises). These two stages are often directly related to litter and soil, although only the interaction at the pupal stage seems to follow a phylogenetic logic with two independent evolutionary events for the preference with soil: Use of litter and the upper “O” horizon as protection against predation for the evolutionarily oldest Lepidoptera families, pupation at greater depths (up to 60 centimetres in extreme cases) for the most derived Lepidoptera families; this probably to take advantage of the thermal and moisture buffer provided by the soil. An estimate suggests that about 25% of lepidopteran species worldwide have more or less obligatory interactions with soil.
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13
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Akiyama T, Uchiyama H, Yajima S, Arikawa K, Terai Y. Parallel evolution of opsin visual pigments in hawkmoths by tuning of spectral sensitivities during transition from a nocturnal to a diurnal ecology. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:285920. [PMID: 36408938 PMCID: PMC10112871 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Light environments differ dramatically between day and night. The transition between diurnal and nocturnal visual ecology has happened repeatedly throughout evolution in many species. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the evolution of vision in recent diurnal-nocturnal transition is poorly understood. Here, we focus on hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) to address this question by investigating five nocturnal and five diurnal species. We performed RNA-sequencing analysis and identified opsin genes corresponding to the ultraviolet (UV), short-wavelength (SW) and long-wavelength (LW)-absorbing visual pigments. We found no significant differences in the expression patterns of opsin genes between the nocturnal and diurnal species. We then constructed the phylogenetic trees of hawkmoth species and opsins. The diurnal lineages had emerged at least three times from the nocturnal ancestors. The evolutionary rates of amino acid substitutions in the three opsins differed between the nocturnal and diurnal species. We found an excess number of parallel amino acid substitutions in the opsins in three independent diurnal lineages. The numbers were significantly more than those inferred from neutral evolution, suggesting that positive selection acted on these parallel substitutions. Moreover, we predicted the visual pigment absorption spectra based on electrophysiologically determined spectral sensitivity in two nocturnal and two diurnal species belonging to different clades. In the diurnal species, the LW pigments shift 10 nm towards shorter wavelengths, and the SW pigments shift 10 nm in the opposite direction. Taken together, our results suggest that parallel evolution of opsins may have enhanced the colour discrimination properties of diurnal hawkmoths in ambient light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tokiho Akiyama
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Shonan Village, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan
| | - Hironobu Uchiyama
- NODAI Genome Research Center, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Yajima
- NODAI Genome Research Center, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan.,Department of Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan
| | - Kentaro Arikawa
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Shonan Village, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan
| | - Yohey Terai
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Shonan Village, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan
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14
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Wanniarachchi S, Swan M, Nevil P, York A. Using eDNA metabarcoding to understand the effect of fire on the diet of small mammals in a woodland ecosystem. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9457. [PMID: 36381390 PMCID: PMC9643072 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Food acquisition is a fundamental process that drives animal distribution and abundance, influencing how species respond to changing environments. Disturbances such as fire create significant shifts in available dietary resources, yet, for many species, we lack basic information about what they eat, let alone how they respond to a changing resource base. In order to create effective management strategies, faunal conservation in flammable landscapes requires a greater understanding of what animals eat and how this change following a fire. What animals eat in postfire environments has received little attention due to the time-consuming methodologies and low-resolution identification of food taxa. Recently, molecular techniques have been developed to identify food DNA in scats, making it possible to identify animal diets with enhanced resolution. The primary aim of this study was to utilize eDNA metabarcoding to obtain an improved understanding of the diet of three native Australian small mammal species: yellow-footed antechinus (Antechinus flavipes), heath mouse (Pseudomys shortridgei), and bush rat (Rattus fuscipes). Specifically, we sought to understand the difference in the overall diet of the three species and how diet changed over time after fire. Yellow-footed antechinus diets mostly consisted of moths, and plants belonging to myrtles and legume families while bush rats consumed legumes, myrtles, rushes, and beetles. Heath mouse diet was dominated by rushes. All three species shifted their diets over time after fire, with most pronounced shifts in the bush rats and least for heath mice. Identifying critical food resources for native animals will allow conservation managers to consider the effect of fire management actions on these resources and help conserve the species that use them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saumya Wanniarachchi
- School of Ecosystem and Forest SciencesThe University of MelbourneCreswickVictoriaAustralia
| | - Matthew Swan
- School of Ecosystem and Forest SciencesThe University of MelbourneCreswickVictoriaAustralia
| | - Paul Nevil
- Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory, School of Life and Molecular SciencesCurtin UniversityPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Alan York
- School of Ecosystem and Forest SciencesThe University of MelbourneCreswickVictoriaAustralia
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15
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Brady D, Saviane A, Cappellozza S, Sandrelli F. The Circadian Clock in Lepidoptera. Front Physiol 2021; 12:776826. [PMID: 34867483 PMCID: PMC8635995 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.776826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
With approximately 160,000 identified species of butterflies and moths, Lepidoptera are among the most species-rich and diverse insect orders. Lepidopteran insects have fundamental ecosystem functions as pollinators and valuable food sources for countless animals. Furthermore, Lepidoptera have a significant impact on the economy and global food security because many species in their larval stage are harmful pests of staple food crops. Moreover, domesticated species such as the silkworm Bombyx mori produce silk and silk byproducts that are utilized by the luxury textile, biomedical, and cosmetics sectors. Several Lepidoptera have been fundamental as model organisms for basic biological research, from formal genetics to evolutionary studies. Regarding chronobiology, in the 1970s, Truman's seminal transplantation experiments on different lepidopteran species were the first to show that the circadian clock resides in the brain. With the implementation of molecular genetics, subsequent studies identified key differences in core components of the molecular circadian clock of Lepidoptera compared to the dipteran Drosophila melanogaster, the dominant insect species in chronobiological research. More recently, studies on the butterfly Danaus plexippus have been fundamental in characterizing the interplay between the circadian clock and navigation during the seasonal migration of this species. Moreover, the advent of Next Generation Omic technologies has resulted in the production of many publicly available datasets regarding circadian clocks in pest and beneficial Lepidoptera. This review presents an updated overview of the molecular and anatomical organization of the circadian clock in Lepidoptera. We report different behavioral circadian rhythms currently identified, focusing on the importance of the circadian clock in controlling developmental, mating and migration phenotypes. We then describe the ecological importance of circadian clocks detailing the complex interplay between the feeding behavior of these organisms and plants. Finally, we discuss how the characterization of these features could be useful in both pest control, and in optimizing rearing of beneficial Lepidoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Brady
- Department of Biology, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Alessio Saviane
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Cappellozza
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), Padova, Italy
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16
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Hamilton CA, Winiger N, Rubin JJ, Breinholt J, Rougerie R, Kitching IJ, Barber JR, Kawahara AY. Hidden phylogenomic signal helps elucidate arsenurine silkmoth phylogeny and the evolution of body size and wing shape trade-offs. Syst Biol 2021; 71:859-874. [PMID: 34791485 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syab090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the key objectives in biological research is understanding how evolutionary processes have produced Earth's diversity. A critical step towards revealing these processes is an investigation of evolutionary tradeoffs - that is, the opposing pressures of multiple selective forces. For millennia, nocturnal moths have had to balance successful flight, as they search for mates or host plants, with evading bat predators. However, the potential for evolutionary trade-offs between wing shape and body size are poorly understood. In this study, we used phylogenomics and geometric morphometrics to examine the evolution of wing shape in the wild silkmoth subfamily Arsenurinae (Saturniidae) and evaluate potential evolutionary relationships between body size and wing shape. The phylogeny was inferred based on 782 loci from target capture data of 42 arsenurine species representing all 10 recognized genera. After detecting in our data one of the most vexing problems in phylogenetic inference - a region of a tree that possesses short branches and no "support" for relationships (i.e., a polytomy), we looked for hidden phylogenomic signal (i.e., inspecting differing phylogenetic inferences, alternative support values, quartets, and phylogenetic networks) to better illuminate the most probable generic relationships within the subfamily. We found there are putative evolutionary trade-offs between wing shape, body size, and the interaction of fore- and hindwing shape. Namely, body size tends to decrease with increasing hindwing length but increases as forewing shape becomes more complex. Additionally, the type of hindwing (i.e., tail or no tail) a lineage possesses has a significant effect on the complexity of forewing shape. We outline possible selective forces driving the complex hindwing shapes that make Arsenurinae, and silkmoths as a whole, so charismatic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris A Hamilton
- Florida Museum of Natural History, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA.,Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology & Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844 USA
| | - Nathalie Winiger
- Florida Museum of Natural History, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA.,Wildlife Ecology and Management, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Juliette J Rubin
- Florida Museum of Natural History, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
| | - Jesse Breinholt
- Florida Museum of Natural History, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA.,Division of Bioinformatics, Intermountain Healthcare, Precision Genomics, St. George, UT 84790 USA
| | - Rodolphe Rougerie
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Ian J Kitching
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Jesse R Barber
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, 83725 USA
| | - Akito Y Kawahara
- Florida Museum of Natural History, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
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17
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Chen XH, Tan SL, Liang YL, Huang L, Xiao HW, Luo HL, Xiong DJ, Yang BY, Ren ZX. The pollination of Habenaria rhodocheila (Orchidaceae) in South China: When butterflies take sides. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:2849-2861. [PMID: 33767841 PMCID: PMC7981216 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Habenaria is one of the largest terrestrial genera in the family Orchidaceae. Most field studies on Habenaria species with greenish-white and nocturnal scented flowers are pollinated by nocturnal hawkmoths and settling moths. However, H. rhodocheila presents reddish flowers lacking a detectable scent and fails to fit the moth pollination syndrome. We investigated the pollinators, breeding system, and functional traits of H. rhodocheila in South China and found that two diurnal swallowtail butterflies Papilio helenus and Papilio nephelus (Papilionidae) were the effective pollinators. When butterflies foraged for nectar in the spur, the pollinia became attached between the palpi. A triangular projected median rostellar lobe was found at the entrance (sinus) of the spur of H. rhodocheila. This lobe divided the spur opening into two entrances forcing butterflies to enter their proboscides through the left or right side. When the projection of median rostellar lobe was removed, the site of pollinium attachment changed to the eyes of the butterflies, leading to a higher rate of pollinium removal but lower rate of pollinium deposition. Our quartz glass cylinder choice experiment suggested that visual rather than olfactory cues provided the major stimuli for butterflies to locate these flowers. Hand pollination experiments suggested this species was self-compatible but pollinator-dependent. However, the proportion of seeds with large embryos produced in self-pollinated fruits was significantly lower than in cross-pollinated fruits, indicating a significant inbreeding depression. Unlike many other orchid species, fruit set was higher than rates of pollinium removal, indicating a high level of pollination efficiency in a species with friable pollinia. Shifts from moth to butterfly pollination in the genus Habenaria parallel other orchid lineages providing insights into the potential for pollinator-mediated floral trait selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing-Hui Chen
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Resources School of Life Sciences Nanchang University Nanchang China
| | - Shao-Lin Tan
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Resources School of Life Sciences Nanchang University Nanchang China
| | - Yue-Long Liang
- Jiulianshan National Natural Reserve Administration Bureau Ganzhou China
| | - Lang Huang
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Resources School of Life Sciences Nanchang University Nanchang China
| | - Han-Wen Xiao
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Resources School of Life Sciences Nanchang University Nanchang China
| | - Huo-Lin Luo
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Resources School of Life Sciences Nanchang University Nanchang China
| | - Dong-Jin Xiong
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Resources School of Life Sciences Nanchang University Nanchang China
| | - Bo-Yun Yang
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Resources School of Life Sciences Nanchang University Nanchang China
| | - Zong-Xin Ren
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia Kunming Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
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18
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Sondhi Y, Ellis EA, Bybee SM, Theobald JC, Kawahara AY. Light environment drives evolution of color vision genes in butterflies and moths. Commun Biol 2021; 4:177. [PMID: 33564115 PMCID: PMC7873203 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01688-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Opsins, combined with a chromophore, are the primary light-sensing molecules in animals and are crucial for color vision. Throughout animal evolution, duplications and losses of opsin proteins are common, but it is unclear what is driving these gains and losses. Light availability is implicated, and dim environments are often associated with low opsin diversity and loss. Correlations between high opsin diversity and bright environments, however, are tenuous. To test if increased light availability is associated with opsin diversification, we examined diel niche and identified opsins using transcriptomes and genomes of 175 butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera). We found 14 independent opsin duplications associated with bright environments. Estimating their rates of evolution revealed that opsins from diurnal taxa evolve faster-at least 13 amino acids were identified with higher dN/dS rates, with a subset close enough to the chromophore to tune the opsin. These results demonstrate that high light availability increases opsin diversity and evolution rate in Lepidoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yash Sondhi
- Department of Biology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.
| | - Emily A Ellis
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Seth M Bybee
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Jamie C Theobald
- Department of Biology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Akito Y Kawahara
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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19
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Balducci MG, Van der Niet T, Johnson SD. Diel scent and nectar rhythms of an African orchid in relation to bimodal activity patterns of hawkmoth pollinators. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 126:1155-1164. [PMID: 32674148 PMCID: PMC7684705 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The temporal dimensions of floral adaptation to pollinators are not yet well understood, partly because we lack accurate information on the diel rhythms of flower visitation for many pollinators. We investigated whether diel patterns of pollinator visitation to flowers of the African woodland orchid Bonatea polypodantha are synchronized with rhythms of floral anthesis, scent emission and nectar availability. METHODS Direct observations and motion-activated cameras were used to identify pollinators of B. polypodantha and to document their activity periods. The timing of pollinaria removal from flowers, emission of scent and availability of nectar was also measured. RESULTS We found that B. polypodantha is pollinated exclusively by short-tongued hawkmoths. Pollinaria of the orchid are affixed between the labial palps of the moths and brush over the protruding stigmatic arms. The flowers also receive visits by long-tongued hawkmoths, but these act as nectar thieves. Tracking of pollinaria removal from flowers confirmed that pollination occurs only at night. Camera footage revealed a striking crepuscular pattern of foraging by short-tongued hawkmoths with peaks of activity during the twilight periods at dusk and at dawn. In contrast, long-tongued hawkmoths were found to visit flowers throughout the night. Flowers of B. polypodantha exhibit unimodal peaks of anthesis, scent emission (dominated by nitrogenous aromatics) and nectar availability before or around dusk. CONCLUSIONS Flowers of B. polypodantha are pollinated exclusively by short-tongued hawkmoths, which show crepuscular foraging activity at dusk and dawn. Floral phenophases of the orchid are closely synchronized with the peak of pollinator activity at dusk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco G Balducci
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, South Africa
| | - Timotheüs Van der Niet
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, South Africa
| | - Steven D Johnson
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, South Africa
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20
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Chatterjee P, Mohan U, Krishnan A, Sane SP. Evolutionary constraints on flicker fusion frequency in Lepidoptera. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2020; 206:671-681. [PMID: 32529485 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-020-01429-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Flying insects occupy both diurnal and nocturnal niches, and their visual systems encounter distinct challenges in both conditions. Visual adaptations, such as superposition eyes of moths, enhance sensitivity to low light levels but trade off with spatial and temporal resolution. Conversely, apposition eyes of butterflies enable high spatial resolution but are poorly sensitive in dim light. Although diel activity patterns of insects influence visual processing, their role in evolution of visual systems is relatively unexplored. Lepidopteran insects present an excellent system to study how diel activity patterns and phylogenetic position influence the visual transduction system. We addressed this question by comparing electroretinography measurements of temporal response profiles of diverse Lepidoptera to light stimuli that were flickering at different frequencies. Our data show that the eyes of diurnal butterflies are sensitive to visual stimuli of higher temporal frequencies than nocturnal moths. Hesperiid skippers, which are typically diurnal or crepuscular, exhibit intermediate phenotypes with peak sensitivity across broader frequency range. Across all groups, species within families exhibited similar phenotypes irrespective of diel activity. Thus, Lepidopteran photoreceptors may have diversified under phylogenetic constraints, and shifts in their sensitivity to higher temporal frequencies occurred concomitantly with the evolution of diurnal lifestyles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Payel Chatterjee
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Umesh Mohan
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Anand Krishnan
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pashan Road, Pune, 411008, India.
| | - Sanjay P Sane
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, 560065, India.
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21
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Toussaint EFA, Warren AD. A review of red-eye pigmentation and diel activity patterns in skippers (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea, Hesperiidae). J NAT HIST 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2019.1692090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew D. Warren
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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22
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Abstract
Lepidoptera play key roles in many biological systems. Butterflies are hypothesized to have evolved contemporaneously with flowering plants, and moths are thought to have gained anti-bat defenses in response to echolocating predatory bats, but these hypotheses have largely gone untested. Using a transcriptomic, dated evolutionary tree of Lepidoptera, we demonstrate that the most recent common ancestor of Lepidoptera is considerably older than previously hypothesized. The oldest moths in crown Lepidoptera were present in the Carboniferous, some 300 million years ago, and began to diversify largely in synchrony with angiosperms. We show that multiple lineages of moths independently evolved hearing organs well before the origin of bats, rejecting the hypothesis that lepidopteran hearing organs arose in response to these predators. Butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) are one of the major superradiations of insects, comprising nearly 160,000 described extant species. As herbivores, pollinators, and prey, Lepidoptera play a fundamental role in almost every terrestrial ecosystem. Lepidoptera are also indicators of environmental change and serve as models for research on mimicry and genetics. They have been central to the development of coevolutionary hypotheses, such as butterflies with flowering plants and moths’ evolutionary arms race with echolocating bats. However, these hypotheses have not been rigorously tested, because a robust lepidopteran phylogeny and timing of evolutionary novelties are lacking. To address these issues, we inferred a comprehensive phylogeny of Lepidoptera, using the largest dataset assembled for the order (2,098 orthologous protein-coding genes from transcriptomes of 186 species, representing nearly all superfamilies), and dated it with carefully evaluated synapomorphy-based fossils. The oldest members of the Lepidoptera crown group appeared in the Late Carboniferous (∼300 Ma) and fed on nonvascular land plants. Lepidoptera evolved the tube-like proboscis in the Middle Triassic (∼241 Ma), which allowed them to acquire nectar from flowering plants. This morphological innovation, along with other traits, likely promoted the extraordinary diversification of superfamily-level lepidopteran crown groups. The ancestor of butterflies was likely nocturnal, and our results indicate that butterflies became day-flying in the Late Cretaceous (∼98 Ma). Moth hearing organs arose multiple times before the evolutionary arms race between moths and bats, perhaps initially detecting a wide range of sound frequencies before being co-opted to specifically detect bat sonar. Our study provides an essential framework for future comparative studies on butterfly and moth evolution.
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23
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Abstract
The crepuscular (evening) circadian rhythm of adult spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.)) flight activity under the influence of changing evening temperatures is described using a mathematical model. This description is intended for inclusion in a comprehensive model of spruce budworm flight activity leading to the simulation of mass migration events. The model for the temporal likelihood of moth emigration flight is calibrated using numerous observations of flight activity in the moth’s natural environment. Results indicate an accurate description of moth evening flight activity using a temporal function covering the period around sunset and modified by evening temperature conditions. The moth’s crepuscular flight activity is typically coincident with the evening transition of the atmospheric boundary layer from turbulent daytime to stable nocturnal conditions. The possible interactions between moth flight activity and the evening boundary layer transition, with favorable wind and temperature conditions leading to massive and potentially successful migration events, as well as the potential impact of climate change on this process, are discussed.
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Hamilton CA, St Laurent RA, Dexter K, Kitching IJ, Breinholt JW, Zwick A, Timmermans MJTN, Barber JR, Kawahara AY. Phylogenomics resolves major relationships and reveals significant diversification rate shifts in the evolution of silk moths and relatives. BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:182. [PMID: 31533606 PMCID: PMC6751749 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1505-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Silkmoths and their relatives constitute the ecologically and taxonomically diverse superfamily Bombycoidea, which includes some of the most charismatic species of Lepidoptera. Despite displaying spectacular forms and diverse ecological traits, relatively little attention has been given to understanding their evolution and drivers of their diversity. To begin to address this problem, we created a new Bombycoidea-specific Anchored Hybrid Enrichment (AHE) probe set and sampled up to 571 loci for 117 taxa across all major lineages of the Bombycoidea, with a newly developed DNA extraction protocol that allows Lepidoptera specimens to be readily sequenced from pinned natural history collections. RESULTS The well-supported tree was overall consistent with prior morphological and molecular studies, although some taxa were misplaced. The bombycid Arotros Schaus was formally transferred to Apatelodidae. We identified important evolutionary patterns (e.g., morphology, biogeography, and differences in speciation and extinction), and our analysis of diversification rates highlights the stark increases that exist within the Sphingidae (hawkmoths) and Saturniidae (wild silkmoths). CONCLUSIONS Our study establishes a backbone for future evolutionary, comparative, and taxonomic studies of Bombycoidea. We postulate that the rate shifts identified are due to the well-documented bat-moth "arms race". Our research highlights the flexibility of AHE to generate genomic data from a wide range of museum specimens, both age and preservation method, and will allow researchers to tap into the wealth of biological data residing in natural history collections around the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
- C A Hamilton
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology & Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844, USA.
| | - R A St Laurent
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - K Dexter
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - I J Kitching
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - J W Breinholt
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
- RAPiD Genomics, 747 SW 2nd Avenue #314, Gainesville, FL, 32601, USA
| | - A Zwick
- Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, Clunies Ross St, Acton, ACT, Canberra, 2601, Australia
| | - M J T N Timmermans
- Department of Natural Sciences, Middlesex University, The Burroughs, London, NW4 4BT, UK
| | - J R Barber
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, 83725, USA
| | - A Y Kawahara
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
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Xing S, Bonebrake TC, Ashton LA, Kitching RL, Cao M, Sun Z, Ho JC, Nakamura A. Colors of night: climate–morphology relationships of geometrid moths along spatial gradients in southwestern China. Oecologia 2018; 188:537-546. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4219-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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26
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Kawahara AY, Breinholt JW, Espeland M, Storer C, Plotkin D, Dexter KM, Toussaint EFA, St Laurent RA, Brehm G, Vargas S, Forero D, Pierce NE, Lohman DJ. Phylogenetics of moth-like butterflies (Papilionoidea: Hedylidae) based on a new 13-locus target capture probe set. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2018; 127:600-605. [PMID: 29902572 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2018.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The Neotropical moth-like butterflies (Hedylidae) are perhaps the most unusual butterfly family. In addition to being species-poor, this family is predominantly nocturnal and has anti-bat ultrasound hearing organs. Evolutionary relationships among the 36 described species are largely unexplored. A new, target capture, anchored hybrid enrichment probe set ('BUTTERFLY2.0') was developed to infer relationships of hedylids and some of their butterfly relatives. The probe set includes 13 genes that have historically been used in butterfly phylogenetics. Our dataset comprised of up to 10,898 aligned base pairs from 22 hedylid species and 19 outgroups. Eleven of the thirteen loci were successfully captured from all samples, and the remaining loci were captured from ≥94% of samples. The inferred phylogeny was consistent with recent molecular studies by placing Hedylidae sister to Hesperiidae, and the tree had robust support for 80% of nodes. Our results are also consistent with morphological studies, with Macrosoma tipulata as the sister species to all remaining hedylids, followed by M. semiermis sister to the remaining species in the genus. We tested the hypothesis that nocturnality evolved once from diurnality in Hedylidae, and demonstrate that the ancestral condition was likely diurnal, with a shift to nocturnality early in the diversification of this family. The BUTTERFLY2.0 probe set includes standard butterfly phylogenetics markers, captures sequences from decades-old museum specimens, and is a cost-effective technique to infer phylogenetic relationships of the butterfly tree of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akito Y Kawahara
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
| | - Jesse W Breinholt
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; RAPiD Genomics, 747 SW 2nd Avenue, IMB#14, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA
| | - Marianne Espeland
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Arthropoda Department, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Adenauer Allee 160, Bonn 53113, Germany
| | - Caroline Storer
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - David Plotkin
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Kelly M Dexter
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | | | - Ryan A St Laurent
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Gunnar Brehm
- Institute of Zoology and Evolutionary Biology with Phyletic Museum, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Sergio Vargas
- Laboratorio de Entomología, Departamento de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Dimitri Forero
- Laboratorio de Entomología, Departamento de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - David J Lohman
- Biology Department, City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA; Ph.D. Program in Biology, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA; Entomology Section, National Museum of the Philippines, Manila 1000, Philippines
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Seymoure BM. Enlightening Butterfly Conservation Efforts: The Importance of Natural Lighting for Butterfly Behavioral Ecology and Conservation. INSECTS 2018; 9:E22. [PMID: 29439549 PMCID: PMC5872287 DOI: 10.3390/insects9010022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Light is arguably the most important abiotic factor for living organisms. Organisms evolved under specific lighting conditions and their behavior, physiology, and ecology are inexorably linked to light. Understanding light effects on biology could not be more important as present anthropogenic effects are greatly changing the light environments in which animals exist. The two biggest anthropogenic contributors changing light environments are: (1) anthropogenic lighting at night (i.e., light pollution); and (2) deforestation and the built environment. I highlight light importance for butterfly behavior, physiology, and ecology and stress the importance of including light as a conservation factor for conserving butterfly biodiversity. This review focuses on four parts: (1) Introducing the nature and extent of light. (2) Visual and non-visual light reception in butterflies. (3) Implications of unnatural lighting for butterflies across several different behavioral and ecological contexts. (4). Future directions for quantifying the threat of unnatural lighting on butterflies and simple approaches to mitigate unnatural light impacts on butterflies. I urge future research to include light as a factor and end with the hopeful thought that controlling many unnatural light conditions is simply done by flipping a switch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett M Seymoure
- Department of Biology and Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
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