2009年1月30日 星期五

中國產捲葉蛾科Scotiophyes屬之分類研究與一新種描述

1. Scotiophyes faeculosa (Meyrick); 2. Scotiophyes subtriangulata Wang, sp. nov.
Taxonomic study on Scotiophyes Diakonoff from China, with the description of a new species (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
Zootaxa 1974: 64-68 (9 Jan. 2009)
Abstract & excerpt (PDF; 20KB) free | Full article (PDF; 400KB)
WANG, XIN-PU (P.R. China)

Abstract

Scotiophyes subtriangulata,
sp. nov., is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to S. faeculosa from which it can distinguished by the following: basal blotch and median fascia distinct; uncus subtriangular, narrowed gradually apically; sacculus smooth ventrally near base; arms of gnathos thick and short; and aedeagus slender. Photographs of adults and genitalia of S. faeculosa and S. subtriangulata are provided. A key to the known species of the genus is included. The type specimen of the new species is deposited in the Insect Collection of Nankai University, China.

本屬在台灣目前已知僅一種: Scotiophyes faeculosa (Meyrick 1928), 與本文描述之新種Scotiophyes subtriangulata 相似.

早在鱗翅目輻射演化之前促進費洛蒙生成的關鍵性生化合成基因家族便已出現

Key biosynthetic gene subfamily recruited for pheromone production prior to the extensive radiation of Lepidoptera

BMC Evolutionary Biology 2008, 8:270 Full text: PDF (2.4MB)

Marjorie A Liénard1 email, Maria Strandh1 email, Erik Hedenström3 email, Tomas Johansson2 email and Christer Löfstedt1 email

1Chemical Ecology and Ecotoxicology, Department of Ecology, Lund University, Ecology Building, SE-22362, Lund, Sweden 2Microbial Ecology, Department of Ecology, Lund University, Ecology Building, SE-22362, Lund, Sweden 3Department of Natural Sciences, Institute of Natural Sciences, SE-85170, Sundsvall, Sweden

author email corresponding author email

Abstract

Background

Moths have evolved highly successful mating systems, relying on species-specific mixtures of sex pheromone components for long-distance mate communication. Acyl-CoA desaturases are key enzymes in the biosynthesis of these compounds and to a large extent they account for the great diversity of pheromone structures in Lepidoptera. A novel desaturase gene subfamily that displays Δ11 catalytic activities has been highlighted to account for most of the unique pheromone signatures of the taxonomically advanced ditrysian species. To assess the mechanisms driving pheromone evolution, information is needed about the signalling machinery of primitive moths. The currant shoot borer, Lampronia capitella, is the sole reported primitive non-ditrysian moth known to use unsaturated fatty-acid derivatives as sex-pheromone. By combining biochemical and molecular approaches we elucidated the biosynthesis paths of its main pheromone component, the (Z,Z)-9,11-tetradecadien-1-ol and bring new insights into the time point of the recruitment of the key Δ11-desaturase gene subfamily in moth pheromone biosynthesis.

Results

The reconstructed evolutionary tree of desaturases evidenced two ditrysian-specific lineages (the Δ11 and Δ9 (18C>16C)) to have orthologs in the primitive moth L. capitella despite being absent in Diptera and other insect genomes. Four acyl-CoA desaturase cDNAs were isolated from the pheromone gland, three of which are related to Δ9-desaturases whereas the fourth cDNA clusters with Δ11-desaturases. We demonstrated that this transcript (Lca-KPVQ) exclusively accounts for both steps of desaturation involved in pheromone biosynthesis. This enzyme possesses a Z11-desaturase activity that allows transforming the palmitate precursor (C16:0) into (Z)-11-hexadecenoic acid and the (Z)-9-tetradecenoic acid into the conjugated intermediate (Z,Z)-9,11-tetradecadienoic acid.

Conclusion

The involvement of a single Z11-desaturase in pheromone biosynthesis of a non-ditrysian moth species, supports that the duplication event leading to the origin of the Lepidoptera-specific Δ11-desaturase gene subfamily took place before radiation of ditrysian moths and their divergence from other heteroneuran lineages. Our findings uncover that this novel class of enzymes affords complex combinations of unique unsaturated fatty acyl-moieties of variable chain-lengths, regio- and stereo-specificities since early in moth history and contributes a notable innovation in the early evolution of moth-pheromones.

[新書]三本印度的蝴蝶圖鑑

Butterflies of India

【作者】 Thomas Gay, Isaac David Kehimkar and Jagdish Punetha
【出版】 Oxford University Press
【日期】 2008
【規格】 Softcover, 72 pages, b&w illus, colour plates.
【國際圖書編號】ISBN-13: 9780195688016
【售價】 £3.99 | approx. $6/€5

【簡介】Butterflies of India introduces us to the fascinating world of butterflies and discusses nearly 100 species commonly found in India. Butterflies from seven groups - swallowtails, whites and yellows, blues, milkweed butterflies, browns, brush-footed butterflies, and skippers - including rare species like the Kaiser-i-Hind and the White Dragontail are described with accompanying illustrations of butterflies and their larvae. Also included are a colour section on butterflies in their natural surroundings, and sections on how best to rear and photograph butterflies.

The Book of Indian Butterflies

【作者】 Isaac Kehimkar
【出版】 Oxford University Press
【日期】 2008
【規格】 Hardcover, 520 pages, 500 colour photographs and colour plates.
【國際圖書編號】ISBN-13: 9780195696202
【售價】 | £54.00 | approx. $78/€56
【簡介】The Book of Indian Butterflies describes 734 species of butterflies that commonly occur in the Indian subcontinent. Most descriptions are illustrated with colour images of specimens from the Bombay Natural History Society's collection as well as with colour photographs of butterflies from across the country in their natural habitats. The book also includes colour photographs showing the life history of different butterfly groups and their adaptation techniques.

Besides highlighting the rich biodiversity of India's butterfly fauna, this book is a highly enjoyable guide for nature lovers. Isaac Kehimkar discusses the biology and identification of butterflies, as well as butterfly watching, photography, and rearing. Written by an expert in the field, The Book of Indian Butterflies is a comprehensive and updated guide to India's butterflies.

Co-published by the Bombay Natural History Society.

Swallowtail Butterflies, Biology and Ecology of a Few Indian Species

【作者】 Jagannath Chattopadhyay
【出版】 Desh Prakashan
【日期】 2007
【規格】 Hardcover, 160 pages, tabs, figs, plates.
【國際圖書編號】ISBN-13: 9788190571913
【售價】| £17.50 | approx. $26/€18
【目錄】Dedication. List of abbreviations used. Foreword. Preface. Acknowledgements. 1. Introduction. 2. List of Swallowtail Butterflies in India. 3. Historical account of studying Swallowtail Butterflies. 4. Materials and methods. 5. Morphology of a few Swallowtail Butterflies. 6. Life history of a few Swallowtail Butterflies. 7. Biological notes on a few Swallowtail Butterflies. 8. Ecology and behaviour of Swallowtail Butterflies. 9. Time trends and seasonal fluctuation of larval population. 10. Data analysis on relative growth rates of butterfly larvae. 11. Note on Osmeterium. 12. Glossary. 13. Bibliography. 14. Index

[新書]萬那杜共和國蝶類野外指南

A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Vanuatu

【作者】 John Tennent
【出版】 Storm Entomological Publishing
【日期】 2008 (尚未發行)
【簡介】介紹產自萬那杜共和國(大洋洲中的島國)的蝴蝶, 包含彩色圖版

[新書]法屬留尼旺島的蝶與蛾及其幼蟲

Les Papillons de La Réunion et leurs Chenilles

【作者】 Dominique Martiré and Jacques Rochat
【出版】 BIOTOPE
【日期】 2008
【規格】 Softcover , 440 pages, colour illus.
【國際圖書編號】ISBN-13: 9782914817073
【售價】 | £56.99 | approx. $83/€59
【簡介】 語言:法語
以豐富的彩色圖版介紹產自法屬留尼旺島的32種蝴蝶與200種蛾類.

[新書]歐洲蝴蝶的氣候風險性圖譜

Climatic Risk Atlas of European Butterflies

【作者】 Josef Settele et al
【出版】 Pensoft Publishers
【日期】 2008
【規格】 distribution maps, colour photos.
【國際圖書編號】 ISBN-13: 9789546424549 (平裝); ISBN-13: 9789546424556 (精裝)
【售價】 Softcover | £65.00 | approx. $94/€67; Hardcover | £115.99 | approx. $167/€119

【簡介】The Climatic Risk Atlas of European Butterflies provides recent and modelled (2050, 2080) distribution maps, a photo and data on biology and ecology for each species, and a general chapter on methods of mapping and modelling.

The overarching aim of the atlas is to communicate the potential risks of climatic change to the future of European butterflies. The main objectives are to: (1) provide a visual aid to discussions on climate change risks and impacts on biodiversity and thus contribute to risk communication as a core element of risk assessment; (2) present crucial data on a large group of species which could help to prioritise conservation efforts in the face of climatic change; (3) reach a broader audience through the combination of new scientific results with photographs of all treated species and some straight forward information about the species and their ecology.

The results of this atlas show that climate change is likely to have a profound effect on European butterflies.Ways to mitigate some of the negative impacts are to (1) maintain large populations in diverse habitats; (2) encourage mobility across the landscape; (3) reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses; (4) allow maximum time for species adaptation; (4) conduct further research on climate change and its impacts on biodiversity.

The book is a result of long-term research of a large international team of scientists, working at research institutes and non-governmental organizations, many within the framework of projects funded by the European Commission. It is published as Special Issue 1 of BioRisk, a new open-access journal of biodiversity and environmental sciences. It addresses conservationists working in research and/or policy making, ecologists, climatologists, biogeographers, entomologists, and members of the public society who care about the worrying trends in changes to the world's climate and nature.

[新書]燈蛾與毛毛蟲:燈蛾科的行為、生態與演化

Tiger Moths and Woolly Bears: Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution of the Arctiidae

【編輯】 William E Conner
【出版】 Oxford University Press USA
【日期】 2008年11月20日
【規格】 精裝, 2.5*15.2*23.5 cm, 單色印刷, 303 pages, 18 黑白圖版+ 21彩色圖版.
【國際圖書編號】ISBN-13: 9780195327373
【價格】| £32.99 | approx. $48/€34| 博客來網路書店售價:2698元

【書介】
"Tiger moths"其實是中文所稱之燈蛾(Arctiid moths),然而一般中文使用者直稱的虎蛾事實上指的是狹義夜蛾科(Noctuidae)虎蛾亞科(Agaristinae)的種類,無論是燈蛾或虎蛾, 兩者皆屬夜蛾總科(Noctuoidea),且皆具有日行性、如虎斑艷麗對比色彩斑紋的類群。Wooly bears可泛指身披毛絨的鱗翅目幼蟲(多為燈蛾),亦可專指分布於北美的燈蛾亞科物種Pyrrharctia isabella之幼蟲。台灣產的燈蛾科分屬為四個亞科: 鹿蛾亞科(Syntominae,約17種)、蜂燈蛾亞科(Ctenuchinae,1種)、燈蛾亞科(Arctiinae,約42種, 含蝶燈蛾亞科(Nycteminae)) 與苔蛾亞科(Lithosiinae,至少130種),所有的亞科皆兼具日行性與夜行性種類。除了多樣化的外部形態特徵,燈蛾尚具有其他值得探討的課題,例如求偶行為、化學防禦、發聲與藉聽覺避敵的機制以及與不同生物地理區的蝴蝶、斑蛾、日行性夜蛾、蜂、椿象甚至蜚蠊互相形成擬態群的演化議題,這些由燈蛾為材料所衍生的最新研究都收錄在本書中。而本書作者William E. Conner為美國北卡羅萊納州維克森林大學(Wake Forest University)之生物學教授,其研究領域即以燈蛾作為主要研究材料,以探討視覺生態、化學生態與聽覺溝通的演化機制,他的研究群與明尼蘇達大學的Susan Weller有緊密的合作

連結:
ConnerLab Homepage
Susan Weller Homepage

【簡介】Moths of the family Arctiidae, with their brilliant coloration, spectacular courtship rituals, and bizarre defenses, are wonders of the natural world. Unpalatable by virtue of secondary chemicals acquired from their hostplants, these moths advertise their defenses by their coloration and often mimic butterflies, wasps, bees, stinkbugs, and even cockroaches. They have ears with which they hear the echolocation of bats, and some answer with aposematic warnings, while some may jam the bats’ sonar.This book, the first written on this fascinating group, documents how tiger moths and woolly bears-the adults and larvae of the Arctiidae-flourish in a world rife with predators, parasites, and competitors. The contributing authors’ accounts, each written by a recognized expert in the field, weave together seminal studies on phylogeny and behavior, natural history, chemical communication, mate choice and sexual selection, chemical ecology, parasite-host relationships, self medication, animal orientation, predator-prey interactions, mimicry, adaptive coloration, speciation, biodiversity, and more.

2009年1月29日 星期四

[新書預告]舊北區大鱗翅類誌第一卷 - 舟蛾科

書名: PALAEARCTIC MACROLEPIDOPTERA. Vol. 1: Notodontidae
作者: Alexander Schintlmeister: A.
發行年代: 2008 (尚未發行)
規格: 474 pages incl. 48 high quality colour plates.depicting a large number of specimens. Approx. 1800 black and white figures (maps and genitalia).

ISBN: 87-88757-77-3
價格: EUR 140.00 / US$ 196.00 / DKK 980.00.

絲蘭蛾的親緣關係與墨西哥所產物種的訂正

本圖片由Mean and Pinchy上載至Flickr網站


OLLE PELLMYR 1 *, MANUEL BALCÁZAR-LARA 2 , KARI A. SEGRAVES 3 , DAVID M. ALTHOFF 3 and RIK J. LITTLEFIELD 4

1 Department of Biology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-3051, USA 2 Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Colima, Km. 40 Autopista Colima – Manzanillo, Tecomán, Colima, 28100, Mexico 3 Department of Biology, 130 College Place, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA 4 Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, PO Box 999 K7-15, Richland WA 99352, USA
Correspondence to *E-mail: pellmyr@uidaho.edu


絲蘭蛾以其與寄主植物絲蘭的專一性傳粉形成之互利共生關係而聞名,近年來的訂正研究將其種類由4種增加至20種,本文描述5新種絲蘭蛾,並以粒線體DNA的CO與COII片段重建Tegeticula與Parategeticula兩屬絲蘭蛾的親緣關係,再與由AFLP得到的全基因體資料所重建之親緣關係進行比較,此結果未來可供探討生活史演化或專一性互利共生之共演化模型。

ABSTRACT

The yucca moths (Tegeticula and Parategeticula; Lepidoptera, Prodoxidae) are well known for their obligate relationship as exclusive pollinators of yuccas. Revisionary work in recent years has revealed far higher species diversity than historically recognized, increasing the number of described species from four to 20. Based on field surveys in Mexico and examination of collections, we describe five additional species: T. californica Pellmyr sp. nov., T. tehuacana Pellmyr & Balcázar-Lara sp. nov., T. tambasi Pellmyr & Balcázar-Lara sp. nov., T. baja Pellmyr & Balcázar-Lara sp. nov. and P. ecdysiastica Pellmyr & Balcázar-Lara sp. nov. Tegeticula treculeanella Pellmyr is identified as a junior synonym of T. mexicana Bastida. A diagnostic key to the adults of all species of the T. yuccasella complex is provided. A phylogeny based on a 2104-bp segment of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the cytochrome oxidase I and II region supported monophyly of the two pollinator genera, and strongly supported monophyly of the 17 recognized species of the T. yuccasella complex. Most relationships are well supported, but some relationships within a recent and rapidly diversified group of 11 taxa are less robust, and in one case conflicts with a whole-genome data set (amplified fragment length polymorphism, AFLP). The current mtDNA-based analyses, together with previously published AFLP data, provide a robust phylogenetic foundation for future studies of life-history evolution and host interactions in one of the classical models of coevolution and obligate mutualism.

菲律賓產Torodora recurvata種群之回顧與曲角蛾科十種新種描述

A review of the Torodora recurvata species group in the Philippines, with descriptions of ten new species (Lepidoptera, Lecithoceridae) Entomological Science, Volume 11, Number 3, September 2008 , pp. 359-373(15)
| Full Text: HTML, PDF (Size: 507K)
Kyu-Tek PARK

McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA

Torodora屬目前包含超過100個種,大多分布在東方區,少部分分布於古北區與澳洲區. 在Gozmány (1978) 回顧過古北區的折角蛾科與Liu (1994) & Wu (1997)回顧過中國動物相之後, 近期相關研究由作者進行,與台灣有關的為於2000年與Heppner共同發表2個產自台灣的折角蛾新種(文章連結: PDF),在2003年又再描述3種 (文章連結: PDF).

Abstract
As part of studies of the genus Torodora Meyrick (Gelechioidea, Lecithoceridae, Torodorinae) in the Philippines, the Torodora recurvata species group is newly proposed, with 14 identified species, ten of which are new species described herein: T. candida sp. nov., T. argenteola sp. nov., T. parvifoliae sp. nov., T. pediformis sp. nov., T. chatolensis sp. nov., T. lechridia sp. nov., T. cavecostalis sp. nov., T. meyi sp. nov., T. pinigisanica sp. nov. and T. castanea sp. nov. A full bibliography and diagnosis for all known species and descriptions of the new species are provided, together with illustrations of the male or female genitalia. A key to the species of the group based on the external characteristics is also provided. Seven species originally assigned to the genus Lecithocera Herrich-Schäffer are transferred to the genus Torodora Meyrick: T. activata (Diakonoff), comb. nov., T. ochrocapna (Meyrick), comb. nov., T. recurvata (Meyrick), comb. nov., T. niphotricha (Diakonoff), comb. nov., T. argocrossa (Meyrick) comb. nov., T. claustrata (Meyrick), comb. nov., T. orbata (Meyrick), comb. nov. Lecithocera phanerostoma Diakonoff is synonymized with T. recurvata (Meyrick), syn. nov. One previously reported species, T. ochrocapna (Meyrick) was not found in this study.

[新書]花を訪れる蛾たち 知られざる姿を求めて

花を訪れる蛾たち 知られざる姿を求めて  
池ノ上 利幸(写真・文), 2008.
A4, 215pp. 6,300円(税込・送料別)
ISBN 978-4-902649-08-6
発行元:昆虫文献 六本脚
発行日:2008年11月30日

著者が20年以上、回数にして1000回以上にわたり野外で撮影した蛾類の訪花活動の多数の写真の中から、選りすぐりの決定的瞬間600点以上をフルカラーで紹介。訪花が確認された植物のデータに加え、著者の観察コメントを付した貴重な野外観察記録集。蛾の知られざる世界をファインダーを通して浮き彫りにし、蝶に勝るとも劣らない蛾の美しさと魅力に迫る写真集。上製本・カラー79ページ。

著者「序文」より抜粋

灯りに群がる黒や茶色の冴えない色をした迷惑昆虫。おまけに触れたら毒があってかぶれるかもしれない恐ろしい虫。その上幼虫は木や作物を食べ荒らす悪者ばかり。沢山の人が抱いている蛾に対するイメージはおおむねこのようなものではないでしょうか。しかし、多くの蛾は夜、蝶と同じように花を訪れていて、その色彩や模様も実に多様です。日本では約6,000種類の蛾類が確認されていますが、本書では614種について花を訪れる姿を図示し、大きさ、国内分布、訪花が確認された植物名などを記しています。これまであまり知られていなかった蛾の花を訪れる生態について知ってもらい、身近な生き物である蛾に対するイメージを少しでも変えることが出来たら、この上ないよろこびです。



2009年1月28日 星期三

東亞長鬚蛾科Lophomilia屬之分類檢討

Article

Zootaxa 1989: 1-22 (27 Jan. 2009)
A revision of the genus Lophomilia Warren, 1913 with description of four new species from East Asia (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Hypeninae)
VLADIMIR KONONENKO (Russia) & GOTTFRIED BEHOUNEK (Germany)
Abstract & excerpt (PDF; 20KB) free | Full article (PDF; 3400KB) subscription required

Lophomilia屬是一個經常容易因為停棲方式被誤認為螟蛾或舟蛾的屬. Kononenko與Behounek的文章檢討了東亞物種的分類, 不過似乎忽略了台灣在過去曾有L. takao (林業試驗所數位典藏的鑑定記錄)以及L. polybapta的記錄. 此外他們認為"鞍馬山的蛾"第一冊中列載的Lophomilia為分類地位不明的物種.

2009年1月27日 星期二

蕈蛾科Tineovertex屬之生物學記要

文獻來源: Huang GH, Kobayashi S., Hirowatari T. 2008. Biological notes on Tineovertex melanochrysa (Meyrick, 1911) (Lepidoptera, Tineidae) in Japan. Transactions of the Lepidopterological Society of Japan 59(4): 261-266.

剛在2008年於大阪府立大學拿到博士學位的黃國華, 原為華南農大的學生, 他的博士論文題目為華南地區蕈蛾科的系統分類. 這個部份算是填補了蕈蛾科在亞洲分類人才的缺乏. 他與小林茂樹以及広渡俊哉於2008年於Zootaxa發表了Tineovertex屬的系統分類研究, 然後另外發表了這篇Tineovertex屬的生物學觀察. 文中指出這個屬的蕈蛾雌蟲將卵產於烏毛蕨(Blechnum nipponicum)的葉背, 初齡幼蟲取食葉片, 然後在落到地面以落葉造可攜式的巢. 而根據Gadon Robinson的資訊, 這樣的行為亦出現於蕈蛾科的其它類群, 因此極有可能具有獨立的演化起源. Tineovertext melanochrysa亦分布於台灣, 但可資認證的標本極少.

圖片連結: jpmoth

2009年1月25日 星期日

Tirumala屬斑蝶的比較形態學: 生殖隔離與費洛蒙傳遞微粒

080517 宜蘭 大同鄉 英士村 小紋青斑蝶 Tirumala septentronis  (Butler, 1874)
Hashimoto, K., Yata, O. 2008. Comparative morphological study in the genus Tirumala (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Danainae): sexual isolation and PTPs. Transactions of the lepidopterological Society of Japan 59(4): 305-311.

斑蝶亞科利用鱗片上的phromone transfer particles (PTPs)傳遞性費洛蒙已經是被研究地相當清楚的生物現象, 而斑蝶各屬間的PTPs形態及其在親緣關係重建上的意義也已經被探索過. 這篇文章的作者橋本惠與矢田脩則針對Tirumala這個種間鑑別相當困難的屬進行PTPs的比較形態學研究. 他們的研究顯示即始是共棲的不同物種, 其PTPs的形態仍具有相當的差異, 他們也利用這樣的結果支持共域分部的斑蝶如何達成生殖隔離的假說.

圖片連結: Bettaman的Flickr相簿

琉球列島與臨近諸國的茄苳斑蛾

Owada, M. 2008. Histia flabellicornis (Zygaenidae) in the Ryukyu Islands and adjacent countries. Yadoriga 218: 5-20.

井上寬(Hiroshi Inoue)博士於1992年(Tinea 13: 145-164)對茄苳斑蛾的分類進行整理, 事隔16年後東京科學博物館的大和田守(Mamoru Owada)博士則對井上當年的分類處理進行重新的評估. 在這篇文章中, Owada認為產於華西與華中的H. f. nigrina的模式標本指定仍有疑義, 產於沖繩本島的H. f. atrovirens與產於奄美大島的H. f. obsoleta無法區分, 此外他認為台灣蘭嶼產的茄苳斑蛾可能屬於一個新的亞種. 然而他並未在此文中進行任何正式的分類處理.

圖片連結: jpmoth

2009年1月22日 星期四

族群大小、葉片大小與密度對潛葉性蛾類之影響

(圖片引用自此網站)

The effects of group size, leaf size, and density on the performance of a leaf-mining moth Journal of Animal Ecology,Volume 78, Issue 1, Pages 152-160

| References | Full Text: HTML, PDF (Size: 356K) |

Candace Low 1 *, Simon N. Wood 2 and Roger M. Nisbet 1

1 Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; and 2 Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK

ABSTRACT
1. The effects of two factors, leaf size and group size, on the performance of the Tupelo leafminer, Antispila nysaefoliella (Lepidoptera: Heliozelidae), were examined by fitting growth models to mine expansion data using nonlinear mixed-effects models.
2. The rate of mine expansion served as a proxy for larval performance because of its correlation with both feeding activity and growth rate and is also the means by which a larva achieves its final mine size (or total consumption).
3. Leaf size was used as a measure of resource availability, and was expected to reduce the impact of resource competition and enhance larval performance.
4. In contrast to the unidirectional effects expected for leaf size (i.e. more resources should enhance performance), the direction for the effects of group size was expected to depend on the mechanism(s) driving the effect. For example, if there is resource competition among larvae in a group, then this could increase the feeding rates of some larvae or reduce the total consumption of others. However, if leaf mining induces host plant chemical defences, then larger groups might elicit a greater defensive response by the host plant (at the leaf), and hence, be characterized by reduced feeding and growth rates.
5. To investigate these interactions, two growth models, the Gompertz model and a modified version of the von Bertalanffy growth equation, were fitted to time series of the sizes of individual leaf mines using nonlinear mixed-effects models. Linear and nonlinear associations of each factor (group size or leaf size) with model parameters were then evaluated using a hierarchical testing procedure by determining: (i) whether inclusion of the factor produced a better-fit model, and (ii) if it did, the form of that relationship (i.e. linear or nonlinear).
6. Three patterns were detected with these analyses. (i) Leaf size had a significant positive, linear relationship with mine expansion rate. (ii) Group size had a significant quadratic relationship with mine expansion rate. (iii) The effects of leaf and group size on the maximum mine size were opposite to those found with growth rate.

眼紋演化的另類模型與鱗翅目翅紋系列之同源性

Alternative models for the evolution of eyespots and of serial homology on lepidopteran wings. Bioessays 30: 358-366 full article

Monteiro A (2008)

Abstract.
Serial homology is widespread in organismal design, but the origin and individuation of these repeated structures appears to differ with the different types of serial homologues, and remains an intriguing and exciting topic of research. Here I focus on the evolution of the serially repeated eyespots that decorate the margin of the wings of nymphalid butterflies. In this system, unresolved questions relate to the evolutionary steps that lead to the appearance of these serial homologues and how their separate identities evolved. I present and discuss two alternative hypotheses. The first proposes that eyespots first appeared as a row of undifferentiated repeated modules, one per wing compartment, that later become individuated. This individuation allowed eyespots to appear and disappear from specific wing compartments and also allowed eyespots to acquire different morphologies. The second hypothesis proposes that eyespots first appeared as individuated single units, or groups of units, that over evolutionary time were co-opted into new compartments on the wing. I discuss the merits of each of these alternate hypotheses by finding analogies to other systems and propose research avenues for addressing these issues in the future.

2009年1月20日 星期二

可塑性會驅使演化嗎?第三紀時期的蛺蝶寄主植物轉移與多樣化

(本圖片wanderingnome上載至flickr網站)
Does plasticity drive speciation? Host plant shifts and diversification in nymphaline butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) during the tertiary
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 94: 115-130.pdf

Nylin, S. & Wahlberg, N. 2008

Abstract.

How and why the great diversity of phytophagous insects has evolved is not clear but, if the explanation is the diversity of plants as a resource, colonizations of novel plant taxa can be expected to be associated with higher net speciation rates. In the present study, we make use of recent advances in plant and butterfly systematics to trace the evolution of host-plant utilization in the butterfly subfamily Nymphalinae (tribes Nymphalini, Melitaeini, and the probably paraphyletic ‘Kallimini’). A clear historical pattern emerges, with an ancestral host-plant theme of ‘urticalean rosids’ and two major colonizations of novel distantly-related plant clades. The asterid order Lamiales was colonized by an ancestor of ‘Kallimini’ + Melitaeini and the family Asteraceae in Asterales was later colonized by Melitaeini butterflies. These colonization events appear to have been followed by increases in the rate of net butterfly diversification. Two not mutually exclusive scenarios to explain such patterns have been suggested: (1) adaptive radiation due to release from competition following host-plant shifts or (2) higher rates of net speciation during a relatively long-lasting potentially polyphagous (plastic) state. In support of the ‘plasticity scenario’, phylogenetic traces of a long-lasting stage with some potential to feed on more than one host-plant clade can still be seen, despite the ancient age of the colonizations. When angiosperm communities changed after the K/T boundary due to extinctions and subsequent diversification, herbivore taxa that could occupy several alternative niches may have had the greatest opportunity to diversify in turn.

史前氣候變化增加一群蝴蝶的多樣性



Prehistorical climate change increased diversification of a group of butterflies.

Biology Letters
4: 274-278.pdf. Supplementary material. See commentary in Telegraph


Peña, C., & N. Wahlberg 2008

Abstract.
Satyrinae butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) and grasses (Poaceae) are very diverse and distributed worldwide. Most Satyrinae use grasses as host plants, but the temporal scale of this tight association is not known. Here, we present a phylogenetic study of Satyrinae butterflies and related groups, based on 5.1 kilobases from six gene regions and 238 morphological characters for all major lineages in the ‘satyrine clade’. Estimates of divergence times calibrated using a fossil from the Late Oligocene indicate that the species-rich tribe Satyrini diversified to its current 2200 species simultaneously with the expansion and radiation of grasses during the dramatic cooling and drying up of the Earth in the Oligocene. We suggest that the adaptive radiation of grass feeders in Satyrini has been facilitated by the ubiquitousness of grasses since 25 Myr ago, which was triggered by a change in global climate.

珍蝶族之親緣關係與寄主植物利用的演化


Phylogenetic relationships of butterflies of the tribe Acraeini (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae) and the evolution of host plant use. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 46:515-531 pdf.

Silva Brandão, K. L., N. Wahlberg, R. B. Francini, A. M. L. Azeredo-Espin, K. S. Brown Jr., M. Paluch, D. C. Lees, and A. V. L. Freitas.


Abstract.

The tribe Acraeini (Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae) is believed to comprise between one and seven genera, with the greatest diversity in Africa. The genera Abananote, Altinote, and Actinote (s. str.) are distributed in the Neotropics, while the genera Acraea, Bematistes, Miyana, and Pardopsis have a Palaeotropical distribution. The monotypic Pardopsis use herbaceous plants of the family Violaceae, Acraea and Bematistes feed selectively on plants with cyanoglycosides belonging to many plant families, but preferentially to Passifloraceae, and all Neotropical species with a known life cycle feed on Asteraceae only. Here, a molecular phylogeny is proposed for the butterflies of the tribe Acraeini based on sequences of COI, EF-1a and wgl. Both Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian analyses showed that the tribe is monophyletic, once the genus Pardopsis is excluded, since it appears to be related to Argynnini. The existing genus Acraea is a paraphyletic group with regard to the South American genera, and the species of Acraea belonging to the group of ‘‘Old World Actinote” is the sister group of the Neotropical genera. The monophyly of South American clade is strongly supported, suggesting a single colonization event of South America. The New World Actinote (s. str.) is monophyletic, and sister to Abananote + Altinote (polyphyletic). Based on the present results it was possible to propose a scenario for the evolution in host plant use within Acraeini, mainly concerning the use of Asteraceae by the South American genera.


2009年1月19日 星期一

澳蛾科與其它蠶蛾總科分類群之分子親緣關係

(Anthela nicothoe, 本圖片由dhobern上載至flickr網站)

Molecular phylogeny of Anthelidae and other bombycoid taxa (Lepidoptera: Bombycoidea) Systematic Entomology,Volume 33 Issue 1, Pages 190 - 209


Full Text: HTML, PDF (Size: 420K)
ANDREAS ZWICK 1 , 2
1 CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia and
2 School of Botany and Zoology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Abstract.
Based on DNA sequences of the fusion protein carbamoylphosphate synthetase/aspartate transcarbamylase/dihydroorotase (CAD; 680 bp) and elongation factor-1a (Ef-1a; 1240 bp); the first molecular phylogeny of the moth family Anthelidae and its placement within the Bombycoidea sensu Brock (1971) (¼ bombycoid complex sensu Minet, 1994) is proposed. The results strongly support the monophyly of the family Anthelidae and its subfamilies Munychryiinae and Anthelinae, but demonstrate the vast polyphyly of its main genus Anthela Walker, 1855. The proposed phylogeny suggests that grass feeding, as apparent from some pest records, probably is an ancestral trait within the subfamily Anthelinae. Evolutionary relationships of the family Anthelidae and of most parts of the Bombycoidea remain obscure. However, the results contradict many of the widely accepted phylogenetic hypotheses within the Bombycoidea proposed by Minet (1994: Entomologica scandinavica, 25, 63–88). The Brahmaeidae are paraphyletic relative to the Lemoniidae (syn.nov.), and the current concept of Bombycidae is polyphyletic, with the bombycid subfamily Apatelodinae being part of a monophylum comprising Brahmaeidae / Lemoniidae, Eupterotidae and Apatelodidae (stat.rev.).


台灣蝶類新物種 - 蘇氏青灰蝶

Article

Zootaxa 1983: 45-53 (19 Jan. 2009) 5 plates; 23 references Accepted: 1 Dec. 2008
A new species of Antigius (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Theclini) from Taiwan YU-FENG HSU (R. China)
Abstract & excerpt (PDF; 20KB) free | Full article (PDF; 1700KB) open access

Abstract
Antigius jinpingi, new species, is described from Taiwan, which Theclini fauna has been investigated extensively. The sister species of the new taxon is presumed to be A. butleri, a species distributed in the Asiatic continent and Japan. The larval host plant of A. jinpingi is unknown, but the most likely candidate is Quercus dentata, a deciduous oak with a rel-ictual distribution in Taiwan. Key words: hairstreak, butterflies, Formosa, Asia, Antigius, new species, Lycaenidae, Theclini

欲知詳情請留意台灣蝶會的會訊, 徐老師應該很快就會寫一篇中文的文章來介紹這隻意想不到的新種

以五個蛋白質編碼基因進行蠶蛾總科複合群親緣關係研究, 與大鱗翅群親緣關係問題之意見

A phylogenetic study of the ‘bombycoid complex’ (Lepidoptera) using five protein-coding nuclear genes, with comments on the problem of macrolepidopteran phylogeny

JEROME C. REGIER 1 , CHRISTOPHER P . COOK 1 , 2 , CHARLES MITTER2 and APRIL HUSSEY1 , 2

1 Center for Biosystems Research, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, College Park, Maryland, U.S.A. and 2 Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, U.S.A.

Abstract
This study had two aims. First, we tested the monophyly of and relationships within the ‘bombycoid complex’, an assembly of approximately 5300 species postulated by Minet to represent 12 families in three superfamilies, by sequencing five protein-coding nuclear gene regions (CAD, DDC, enolase, period, wingless; approximately 6750 bp total) in 66 representatives of most of the subfamilies and tribes. Second, we sought initial evidence on the utility of these genes for estimating relationships among Macrolepidoptera more broadly (11 superfamilies total), by adding representatives of eight families from four other superfamilies, and by assessing the phylogenetic information content of the individual genes and partitions thereof. Analysis of the combined data by likelihood and parsimony upholds monophyly for the bombycoid complex and for Bombycoidea sensu stricto (includes Anthelidae, see below), but with weak bootstrap support. Minet’s assignment of Phiditiinae to Bombycoidea rather than to Noctuoidea is strongly upheld, but Anthelidae, placed in Lasiocampoidea by Minet, group securely within Bombycoidea sensu stricto. Within the latter, the basal split segregates a strongly supported ‘BALE’ group [Apatelodinae + (Eupterotidae + (Brahmaeidae + Lemoniidae))]. The remaining families form a consistently but weakly supported clade, within which the basal split segregates the very strongly supported ‘CAPOPEM’ group [Carthaeidae, Anthelidae, Phiditiinae, (Prismostictini + (Endromidae + (Oberthueriini + Mirinidae)))]. The remaining bombycoids are grouped, very weakly, as Sphingidae + (Bombycinae + Saturniidae). All multiply-sampled families are strongly recovered, in both outgroups and ingroups, except that Bombycidae sensu Minet are rendered decisively polyphyletic. All genes make important contributions to the combined data results, and there is little strong conflict among genes or between synonymous and nonsynonymous change, although two instances of inter-gene conflict were notable, one in Lasiocampidae and one in Mimallonidae. Overall, about 75% of nodes are strongly supported (i.e. bootstrap value 80%). Superfamilies are recovered, but not always strongly, whereas relationships among superfamilies are recovered only weakly and inconsistently; even within the reasonably well-sampled Bombycoidea sensu stricto, a (to us) surprising number of interfamily relationships remain uncertain. Thus, it seems clear that substantially more genes, plus additional taxon sampling in most superfamilies, will be required to resolve macrolepidopteran phylogeny.

舊世界廣佈蝶種-波紋小灰蝶之親緣地理與遺傳多樣性

(本圖片引用自此網站)
Phylogeography and genetic diversity of a widespread Old World butterfly, Lampides boeticus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) BMC Evolutionary Biology 2008, 8:301
David J Lohman* 1, Djunijanti Peggie 2, Naomi E Pierce 3 and Rudolf Meier 1


Address: 1 Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Republic of Singapore, 2 Division of Zoology, Research Centre for Biology-LIPI, Jl. Raya Jakarta-Bogor Km. 46, Cibinong-Bogor 16911, Indonesia and 3 Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA

Abstract

Background: Evolutionary genetics provides a rich theoretical framework for empirical studies of phylogeography. Investigations of intraspecific genetic variation can uncover new putative species while allowing inference into the evolutionary origin and history of extant populations. With a distribution on four continents ranging throughout most of the Old World, Lampides boeticus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) is one of the most widely distributed species of butterfly. It is placed in a monotypic genus with no commonly accepted subspecies. Here, we investigate the demographic history and taxonomic status of this widespread species, and screen for the presence or absence of the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia.
Results: We performed phylogenetic, population genetic, and phylogeographic analyses using 1799 bp of mitochondrial sequence data from 57 specimens collected throughout the species' range. Most of the samples (>90%) were nearly genetically identical, with uncorrected pairwise sequence differences of 0 – 0.5% across geographic distances > 9,000 km. However, five samples from central Thailand, Madagascar, northern Australia and the Moluccas formed two divergent clades differing from the majority of samples by uncorrected pairwise distances ranging from 1.79 – 2.21%. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that L. boeticus is almost certainly monophyletic, with all sampled genes coalescing well after the divergence from three closely related taxa included for outgroup comparisons. Analyses of molecular diversity indicate that most L.. boeticus individuals in extant populations are descended from one or two relatively recent population bottlenecks.
Conclusion: The combined analyses suggest a scenario in which the most recent common ancestor of L. boeticus and its sister taxon lived in the African region approximately 7 Mya; extant lineages of L. boeticus began spreading throughout the Old World at least 1.5 Mya. More recently, expansion after population bottlenecks approximately 1.4 Mya seem to have displaced most of the ancestral polymorphism throughout its range, though at least two early-branching lineages still persist. One of these lineages, in northern Australia and the Moluccas, may have experienced accelerated differentiation due to infection with the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia, which affects reproduction. Examination of a haplotype network suggests that Australia has been colonized by the species several times. While there is little evidence for the existence of morphologically cryptic species, these results suggest a complex history affected by repeated dispersal events.

2009年1月17日 星期六

以四個蛋白質編碼基因重建天蠶蛾科之親緣關係

Phylogenetic relationships of wild silkmoths (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) inferred from four protein-coding nuclear genes Systematic Entomology, Volume 33, Number 2, April 2008 , pp. 219-228(10)
Full Text: HTML, PDF (Size: 459K)

JEROME C. REGIER 1 , MICHAEL C . GRANT 1,2 , CHARLES MITTER 2 , CHRISTOPHER P . COOK 1,2 , RICHARD S . PEIGLER 3 and RODOLPHE ROUGERIE 4

1 Center for Biosystems Research, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, College Park, Maryland, U.S.A.,
2 Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, U.S.A.,
3 Department of Biology, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A. and
4 Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Abstract

The Saturniidae, or wild silkmoths, number approximately 1861 species in 162 genera and nine subfamilies including Cercophaninae and Oxyteninae. They include some of the largest and most spectacular of all Lepidoptera, such as the moon or luna moths, atlas moths, emperor moths, and many others. Saturniids have been important as sources of wild silk and/or human food in a number of cultures, and as models for comparative studies of genetics, development, physiology, and ecology. Seeking to improve the phylogenetic framework for such studies, we estimated relationships across Saturniidae, sampling all nine subfamilies plus all five tribes of Saturniinae. Seventy-five exemplars (45 Saturniidae plus 30 bombycoid outgroups) were sequenced for four protein-coding nuclear gene regions (5625 bp total), namely CAD (the fusion protein carbamoylphosphate synthetase/aspartate transcarbamylase/dihydroorotase), DDC (dopa decarboxylase), period, and wingless. The data, analyzed by parsimony and likelihood, gave a strongly resolved phylogeny at all levels. Relationships among subfamilies largely mirrored the pre-cladistic hypothesis of Michener, albeit with significant exceptions, and there was definitive support for the morphology-based proposal that Ludiinae form a tribe (Micragonini) within Saturniinae. In the latter subfamily, the African tribe Urotini was shown to be paraphyletic with respect to Bunaeini and Micragonini, also in accord with recent morphological findings. Relationships within the New World subfamilies Arsenurinae, Ceratocampinae and Hemileucinae nearly always accord with previous morphology-based phylogenies when both are clearly resolved. Within Hemileucinae, Hemileucini are paraphyletic with respect to the monotypic Polythysanini. A preliminary biogeographical analysis supports ancestral restriction to the New World, followed by dispersal and/or vicariance splitting most of the family into a largely New World versus a largely Old World clade.

2009年1月13日 星期二

加勒比島上取食蕨類之鱗翅目幼蟲偽裝成孢子囊群

Lepidopteran Soral Crypsis on Caribbean Ferns


Biotropica, Volume 37 Issue 2, Pages 314 - 316

Full Text: HTML, PDF (Size: 350K)


Michael S. Barker 1, Shane W. Shaw, and R. James Hickey

Department of Botany, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056, U.S.A.

John E. Rawlins, and James W. Fetzner Jr.

Section of Invertebrate Zoology, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, U.S.A.


ABSTRACT

Insect-fern interactions are not as well characterized as insect-angiosperm interactions. For example, the imitation of unique fern structures by insects has not been observed. On a recent trip to Puerto Rico, we collected ferns that bore small Lepidoptera imitating fern sori. Herbarium specimen searches indicate that these Lepidoptera are restricted to the Caribbean on ferns with highly visible sporangia. A possible selective pressure for the evolution of lepidopteran soral crypsis is wasp parasitism, as evidence of parasitoid wasps was found. However, it is more likely that soral crypsis evolved to avoid visually oriented predators such as birds or lizards.



植物與昆蟲的交互作用之研究中,以昆蟲與顯花植物的關係占多數,與蕨類有關的相對較少。本文首先報導了昆蟲模仿蕨類特定構造的行為,作者在波多黎各的一種鐵角蕨屬植物、一種烏毛蕨屬植物與三種水龍骨科植物上採集到鱗翅目幼蟲或蛹;並在植物標本館中檢視超過一千份來自佛羅里達、墨西哥、中美洲與南美洲北部之上列種類標本,發現只有在採自加勒比島的蕨類標本上可以找到這類鱗翅目昆蟲。作者發現這類幼蟲只利用成熟孢子囊群裸露的蕨類(不被孢膜覆蓋),且幼蟲並不取食這些孢子而是取食植物的薄壁組織,孢子則移置於所造之巢的外層,巢的裡層為絲狀的構造,由外觀看來,這些蟲巢類似相連的孢子囊群,可能有助於躲避以視覺覓食的天敵。 這些幼蟲根據型態鑑定為麥蛾總科Gelechioidea,較可能是Batrachedrinae (Batrachedridae) or Blastobasinae (Coleophoridae) (Hodges 1998);至於比對mtDNACOI COII序列之結果僅能確認為鱗翅目昆蟲,但無法獲得更佳的判斷。


我們近期亦採集到類似行為的鱗翅目幼蟲,持續飼育中。