广西大瑶山濒危物种金斑喙凤蝶(广西亚种)的形态学、生物学特征

金斑喙凤蝶Teinoplpus aureus Mell分布于亚洲东南部沿海地区,已报道有5个地理亚种。在世界保护协会(IUCN)2004年濒危物种红色名录中金斑喙凤蝶被列为DD(Data deficient)物种,在我国动物保护名录(1989)中在我国动物保护名录(1989)中被列为一级保护物种被列为一级保护物种。自从1923年以来,由于数据欠缺,尤其是生物学方面的数据,使得金斑喙凤蝶的研究工作一直难以深入开展,保护工作更是难以做到实处。作者于2003年3月至2005年11月在广西大瑶山开展了对金斑喙凤蝶(广西亚种)的自然形态学、生物学研究,通过野外实地观察、跟踪与记录等方法,结果首次揭示:在大瑶山金斑喙凤蝶1年发生2代,少数1年1代,以蛹越冬。成虫活动时间为每年的4月上旬至6月上旬和8月上旬至9月中旬,雌虫产卵方式为散产,通常为"一枝一叶一卵"式。已确认其寄主植物有两种:光叶拟单性木兰(Parakmeria nitida)与广东含笑(Michelia chapensis)。幼虫共5龄,老熟幼虫离开寄主植物,在林下层各类植物上化蛹。文章首次对金斑喙凤蝶物种在自然栖境中的形态学、生物学特征进行详尽描述。     

金斑喙凤蝶广西亚种的蛹及寄主植物的发现

描述了广西大瑶山金斑喙凤蝶广西亚种TeinopalpusaureusguangxiensisChouetZhou的蛹,并与分布于越南的斯金卡亚种T.aureusskinkaiiMorita的蛹的形态特征进行比较;根据挂蛹植物推断金斑喙凤蝶广西亚种的寄主植物为桂南木莲(ManglietiachingiiDandy)。     

金斑喙凤蝶研究中存在的问题与展望

评论了国内外对金斑喙凤蝶Teinoplpus aureus Mell的研究现状,指出了该蝶在研究报导中存在该虫的生活史研究、如何确定该虫的寄主植物、依据雄蝶的飞翔状况是否能确定其已交配、猜测要符合昆虫学知识和认真查阅参考文献5个常识问题,以提高研究报告的真实性和科学性.金斑喙凤蝶属高海拨自然林中的树冠昆虫,不容易深入研究,因而对其生态学、生物学特性的了解甚少.面对研究巾遇到这一难题,必须应用生态学原理结合创新的思维和方法,突破该蝶饲养技术的难关,获得足够多的个体后,才能运用生命表方法进行保护生物学的研究,最终通过保护和人为增殖的手段,达到可持续性利用的目的.     

濒危物种金斑喙凤蝶的行为特征及其对生境的适应性

金斑喙凤蝶(Teinopalpus aureus)1985年被IUCN列为红色名录种,1989年被我国列为一级保护种,此后便日益受到人们关注,然而,至今为止对其野外生存、行为及生境适应等认识仍很模糊。在广西金秀县大瑶山设定4个研究区域,以线路调查法计数成虫与幼期个体数,定点跟踪观察法记录成虫交配行为、产卵行为、幼虫取食行为等。结果显示:金斑喙凤蝶主要在湿季(4—10月底,月降水量>50 mm)生长、发育与繁殖后代。金斑喙凤蝶在行为上表现出对温度的主动选择性,幼虫在17—24℃时取食行为活跃,雄蝶在19—26℃时山顶行为活跃,均表现出中温选择性;然而,雌蝶多选择在正午时刻产卵,期间温度为27—30℃,表现出高温选择性。雄蝶活动对生境地形表现出主动选择性,(87.34±7.58)%(n=339)的雄蝶选择飞向山顶,他们每日上午6:00至11:00在山顶聚集,绕圈飞行或停息,而以山顶停息为主,占山顶活动时间的(77.87±19.32)%。雄蝶通常停息在山顶的高枝位叶片上或山顶周缘的叶片上,以便迅速发现并拦截飞经的雌蝶,获得交配机会。因而,金斑喙凤蝶在交配策略上主要采取雄蝶等候的方式。停息期间,雄蝶表现出明显的占区行为,首先停息在某一区域的雄蝶在领域权竞争中通常都是最后的胜利者,赢得领域,获得更多交配机会。野外观察发现,金斑喙凤蝶的天敌种类较多,野外存活率偏低,最后羽化率仅为38.9%(n=20)。对于存活个体而言,他们已明显进化形成一套复杂的防御体系,主要包括由保护色、颜色拟态、形状拟态等组建的初级防御体系和由眼斑展示、身体晃动、Y-腺伸出等组建的次级防御体系。另外,老熟幼虫多选择在林下层的灌木丛或竹丛的隐蔽枝条上化蛹,化蛹高度为(1.82±1.58)m(n=20),这种对化蛹场所的主动选择行为可提高其蛹期的防御能力。研究结果说明,在自然选择作用下,金斑喙凤蝶对其阔叶林生境的适应性行为特征非常明显,然而,生境破坏(砍伐等)或人类强度干扰(林下层垦殖等)将使这些适应性行为失效,并威胁到该珍稀蝴蝶种群的繁衍生息,甚至导致局部灭绝的发生。     

基于线粒体COⅠ基因的凤蝶亚科部分物种系统发育关系

通过对凤蝶亚科Papilioninae11属27种的线粒体细胞色素c氧化酶Ⅰ基因(COⅠ)序列测定,以阿波罗绢蝶Parnassius apollo为外群,分别采用邻接法(NJ)、最大简约法(MP)和最大似然法(ML)构建凤蝶亚科的系统发育树,初步探讨了其系统发育关系。结果显示,凤蝶亚科11属27个物种分为4个主要的分支,分别是裳凤蝶族Troidini、凤蝶族Papilionini、燕凤蝶族Lampropterini和喙凤蝶族Teinopalpini,与传统分类学观点一致。其中,燕凤蝶族构成凤蝶亚科系统发育树基部的一个独立分支,且为单系发生。凤蝶属Papilio中美凤蝶亚属Menelaides和翠凤蝶亚属Princeps首先相聚,华凤蝶亚属Sinoprinceps和凤蝶亚属Papilio亲缘关系较近,随后两分支再聚为一支,构成凤蝶属。本研究结果从分子水平验证了凤蝶亚科传统的形态分类地位,并为澄清凤蝶亚科物种间系统发育关系提供了基础资料。     

基于COⅠ和Cyt b基因序列的凤蝶科六属分子系统学研究

对凤蝶科6属25种的COⅠ基因和20种Cyt b基因的部分序列进行测定和分析, 探讨它们之间的系统发育关系; 以茶小卷叶蛾Adoxophyes honmai为外群, 用邻接法(neighbor-joining, NJ)、 最大简约法(maximum parsimony, MP)和贝叶斯法(Bayesian inference, BI)重建了凤蝶科6属的分子系统树。结果表明： COⅠ基因部分序列长度为661 bp, 其中保守位点417个, 可变位点244个, 简约信息位点191个; A+T的平均含量为70.3%, 明显高于C+G的平均含量29.6%。Cyt b基因部分序列长度为433 bp, 其中保守位点239个, 可变位点194个, 简约信息位点135个; A+T的平均含量为74.2%, 明显高于C+G的平均含量25.7%。分子系统树表明, 凤蝶属Papilio、 斑凤蝶属Chilasa、 尾凤蝶属Bhutanitis、 珠凤蝶属Pachliopta和喙凤蝶属Teinopalpus为单系性, 与传统形态分类结果相一致。但青凤蝶属Graphium单系性不够明确, 需要进一步探讨。研究结果为我国凤蝶科分子系统学研究积累了资料。     

江西井冈山国家级自然保护区蝶类资源研究

2002年至2008年对井冈山国家级自然保护区的蝴蝶种类进行调查,共发现有蝴蝶231种,隶属ll科128属,其中包括国家I级保护动物金斑喙凤蝶Teinopalpus aureus Mell。离斑带蛱蝶Athymaranga Moore、珠翠蛱蝶Euthaliaper MlaChouetWang、斜带缺尾蚬蝶Dodonaouida Moore和花裙陀弄蝶Thoressa submacula（Leech）这4种为江西省新记录,另有135种为保护区首次记载。井冈山国家级自然保护区蝴蝶区系成分以东洋界为主,占总种数的73．26％。     

中国产珍蝶宽尾凤蝶的校订

宽尾凤蝶Agehana cavaleriri (Le Cerf)(=Papilio elwesi Leech) 不仅是我国特产的珍稀蝶种,同时也由于其后翅尾突特别宽阔,其内分布有两条翅脉(第3脉及第4脉),与其它凤蝶截然不同而被视为世界珍蝶之一。 宽尾凤蝶在文献上记有两种,略述如下: 1a.宽尾凤蝶指名亚种Agehana elwesi elwesi(Leech) 原为英人J.Leech氏于1889年根据采自我国江西省九江市的雄蝶而命名的。 1b.宽尾凤蝶白斑亚种 Agehana elwesi cavaleriei(Le Cerf) 为法人Le Cerf氏于1923年根据1906年采自我国贵州省贵阳市的雄蝶而命名的。     

琅琊山蝶类资源调查初报

在安徽省滁州市琅琊山国家级森林公园采集到凤蝶科蝴蝶５属１０种、蛱蝶科１２属１７种、粉蝶科３属５种、眼蝶科３属４种、灰蝶科１０属１２种、喙蝶科１属１种、弄蝶科３属４种。其中,１种为我国特有珍稀蝶类,３１种为安徽省新记录,并记录各种蝴蝶的学名,寄主和区系组成。     

四川峨眉山夏季蝶类调查

通过2008—2017年夏季在峨眉山地区的调查,共采集蝶类标本1 860号,隶属10科73属154种,结合前人报道,峨眉山共有蝶类11科126属279种。本次调查显示,蛱蝶科Nymphalidae物种数(55种)和个体数(645只)均最多,珍蝶科Acraeidae物种数(1种)和个体数(6只)均最少;常见种(数量占比大于5%)包括嘉翠蛱蝶Euthalia kardama、斑星弄蝶Celaenorrhinus maculosus、东方菜粉蝶Pieris canidia、素饰蛱蝶Stibochiona nicea、灰翅串珠环蝶Faunis aerope和黑纹粉蝶P.melete,这6种蝶类占蝶类总数的41.10%;珍稀种包括金裳凤蝶Troides aeacus、裳凤蝶T.helena、燕凤蝶Lamproptera curia、三尾凤蝶Bhutanitis thaidina、双星箭环蝶Stichophthalma neumogeni、白袖箭环蝶S.louisa、箭环蝶S.howqua、黑紫蛱蝶Sasakia funebris、枯叶蛱蝶Kallima inachus和朴喙蝶Libythea celtis,这些珍稀蝶类值得重点关注和保护。建议加强峨眉山蝶类资源的长期监测和调查研究,为科学合理地开发蝶类资源和进行濒危珍稀特有蝶类的保护提供基础数据。     

Phylogeny and cryptic diversity in geckos (Phyllopezus; Phyllodactylidae; Gekkota) from South America's open biomes

The gecko genus Phyllopezus occurs across South America's open biomes: Cerrado, Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests (SDTF, including Caatinga), and Chaco. We generated a multi-gene dataset and estimated phylogenetic relationships among described Phyllopezus taxa and related species. We included exemplars from both described Phyllopezus pollicaris subspecies, P. p. pollicaris and P. p.przewalskii. Phylogenies from the concatenated data as well as species trees constructed from individual gene trees were largely congruent. All phylogeny reconstruction methods showed Bogertia lutzae as the sister species of Phyllopezus maranjonensis, rendering Phyllopezus paraphyletic. We synonymized the monotypic genus Bogertia with Phyllopezus to maintain a taxonomy that is isomorphic with phylogenetic history. We recovered multiple, deeply divergent, cryptic lineages within P. pollicaris. These cryptic lineages possessed mtDNA distances equivalent to distances among other gekkotan sister taxa. Described P. pollicaris subspecies are not reciprocally monophyletic and current subspecific taxonomy does not accurately reflect evolutionary relationships among cryptic lineages. We highlight the conservation significance of these results in light of the ongoing habitat loss in South America's open biomes.     

The role of subspecies in obscuring avian biological diversity and misleading conservation policy

Subspecies are often used in ways that require their evolutionary independence, for example as proxies for units of conservation. Mitochondrial DNA sequence data reveal that 97% of continentally distributed avian subspecies lack the population genetic structure indicative of a distinct evolutionary unit. Subspecies considered threatened or endangered, some of which have been targets of expensive restoration efforts, also generally lack genetic distinctiveness. Although sequence data show that species include 1.9 historically significant units on average, these units are not reflected by current subspecies nomenclature. Yet, it is these unnamed units and not named subspecies that should play a major role in guiding conservation efforts and in identifying biological diversity. Thus, a massive reorganization of classifications is required so that the lowest ranks, be they species or subspecies, reflect evolutionary diversity. Until such reorganization is accomplished, the subspecies rank will continue to hinder progress in taxonomy, evolutionary studies and especially conservation.     

Genetic evidence for three species of rockhopper penguins, Eudyptes chrysocome

The taxonomy of rockhopper penguins, Eudyptes chrysocome (Forster 1781), is contentious. Some authorities recognise three subspecies based on morphological differences and geographical separation of breeding populations while others suggest that morphological differences support classifying rockhopper penguins as two distinct species. The taxonomy of rockhopper penguins is of more than academic interest as breeding colonies worldwide have declined markedly in size since the 1930s and rockhopper penguins are currently listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. We compared the genetic distances between three mitochondrial gene regions from the three putative rockhopper penguin subspecies with the distances between various penguin sister species to clarify the taxonomy and systematics of rockhopper penguins. Genetic distances between the rockhopper penguin taxa, relative to other closely related penguin species, support reclassifying the three rockhopper penguin subspecies as species. Reclassification of rockhopper penguins as three species could result in their conservation status being upgraded from vulnerable to endangered.     

The subspecies concept in butterflies: has its application in taxonomy and conservation biology outlived its usefulness?

Subspecies lie at the interface between systematics and population genetics, and represent a unit of biological organization in zoology that is widely used in the disciplines of taxonomy and conservation biology. In this review, we explore the utility of subspecies in relation to their application in systematics and biodiversity conservation, and briefly summarize species concepts and criteria for their diagnosis, particularly from an invertebrate perspective. The subspecies concept was originally conceived as a formal means of documenting geographical variation within species based on morphological characters; however, the utility of subspecies is hampered by inconsistencies by which they are defined conceptually, a lack of objective criteria or properties that serve to delimit their boundaries, and their frequent failure to reflect distinct evolutionary units according to population genetic structure. Moreover, the concept has been applied to populations largely comprising different components of genetic diversity reflecting contrasting evolutionary processes. We recommend that, under the general lineage (unified) species concept, the definition of subspecies be restricted to extant animal groups that comprise evolving populations representing partially isolated lineages of a species that are allopatric, phenotypically distinct, and have at least one fixed diagnosable character state, and that these character differences are (or are assumed to be) correlated with evolutionary independence according to population genetic structure. Phenotypic character types include colour pattern, morphology, and behaviour or ecology. Under these criteria, allopatric subspecies are a type of evolutionarily significant unit within species in that they show both neutral divergence through the effects of genetic drift and adaptive divergence under natural selection, and provide an historical context for identifying biodiversity units for conservation. Conservation of the adaptedness and adaptability of gene pools, however, may require additional approaches. Recent studies of Australian butterflies exemplify these points. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, ?? , ??–??.     

Building a DNA Barcode Reference Library for the True Butterflies (Lepidoptera) of Peninsula Malaysia: What about the Subspecies?

The objective of this study was to build a DNA barcode reference library for the true butterflies of Peninsula Malaysia and assess the value of attaching subspecies names to DNA barcode records. A new DNA barcode library was constructed with butterflies from the Museum of Zoology, University of Malaya collection. The library was analysed in conjunction with publicly available DNA barcodes from other Asia-Pacific localities to test the ability of the DNA barcodes to discriminate species and subspecies. Analyses confirmed the capacity of the new DNA barcode reference library to distinguish the vast majority of species (92%) and revealed that most subspecies possessed unique DNA barcodes (84%). In some cases conspecific subspecies exhibited genetic distances between their DNA barcodes that are typically seen between species, and these were often taxa that have previously been regarded as full species. Subspecies designations as shorthand for geographically and morphologically differentiated groups provide a useful heuristic for assessing how such groups correlate with clustering patterns of DNA barcodes, especially as the number of DNA barcodes per species in reference libraries increases. Our study demonstrates the value in attaching subspecies names to DNA barcode records as they can reveal a history of taxonomic concepts and expose important units of biodiversity.     

Using Ecological Niche Models and Niche Analyses to Understand Speciation Patterns: The Case of Sister Neotropical Orchid Bees

The role of past connections between the two major South American forested biomes on current species distribution has been recognized a long time ago. Climatic oscillations that further separated these biomes have promoted parapatric speciation, in which many species had their continuous distribution split, giving rise to different but related species (i.e., different potential distributions and realized niche features). The distribution of many sister species of orchid bees follow this pattern. Here, using ecological niche models and niche analyses, we (1) tested the role of ecological niche differentiation on the divergence between sister orchid-bees (genera Eulaema and Eufriesea) from the Amazon and Atlantic forests, and (2) highlighted interesting areas for new surveys. Amazonian species occupied different realized niches than their Atlantic sister species. Conversely, species of sympatric but distantly related Eulaema bees occupied similar realized niches. Amazonian species had a wide potential distribution in South America, whereas Atlantic Forest species were more limited to the eastern coast of the continent. Additionally, we identified several areas in need of future surveys. Our results show that the realized niche of Atlantic-Amazonian sister species of orchid bees, which have been previously treated as allopatric populations of three species, had limited niche overlap and similarity. These findings agree with their current taxonomy, which treats each of those populations as distinct valid species.     

Unraveling evolutionary lineages in the limbless fossorial skink genus Acontias (Sauria: Scincidae): are subspecies equivalent systematic units?

Subspecies in the limbless, endemic African fossorial skink genus Acontias constitute ill-defined operational taxonomic units, consequently considerable systematic debate has lingered on the systematic diversity within Acontias. In the present study, the systematic affinities among acontine taxa are explored with the utility of partial sequence data from two mitochondrial gene loci (16S rRNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI)) for all taxa, while two additional loci (12S rRNA, cytochrome b) were used to investigate relationships within the Acontias meleagris complex. Phylogenetic results, derived from the combined analysis, revealed two monophyletic clades. Clade 1 is comprised of small-bodied skinks while clade 2 comprised the medium bodied skinks. Within clade 2 none of the traditionally recognized subspecies formed reciprocally monophyletic groups. Furthermore, constraining the topology and enforcing sister taxa relationships between the assumed subspecies, consistently recovered a topology that was statistically significant worse, indicating that the traditionally designated subspecies groupings probably represent invalid taxonomic units, thus clearly reflecting considerable discord with current taxonomy. The burrowing life style of these lizards has probably led to marked convergent evolution and constrained the development of diagnostic morphological characters among these species. Morphological similarities in color as well as scale architecture within Acontias are labile and highly homoplaseous and do not reflect the evolutionary history of the group. Taxonomic implications of these results are discussed.     

Investigating Concordance among Genetic Data, Subspecies Circumscriptions and Hostplant Use in the Nymphalid Butterfly Polygonia faunus

Subspecies are commonly used taxonomic units to formally describe intraspecific geographic variation in morphological traits. However, the concept of subspecies is not clearly defined, and there is little agreement about what they represent in terms of evolutionary units, and whether they can be used as reliably useful units in conservation, evolutionary theory and taxonomy. We here investigate whether the morphologically well-characterized subspecies in the North American butterfly Polygonia faunus are supported by genetic data from mitochondrial sequences and eight microsatellite loci. We also investigate the phylogeographic structure of P. faunus and test whether similarities in host-plant use among populations are related to genetic similarity. Neither the nuclear nor the mitochondrial data corroborated subspecies groupings. We found three well defined genetic clusters corresponding to California, Arizona and (New Mexico+Colorado). There was little structuring among the remaining populations, probably due to gene flow across populations. We found no support for the hypothesis that similarities in host use are related to genetic proximity. The results indicate that the species underwent a recent rapid expansion, probably from two glacial refugia in western North America. The mitochondrial haplotype network indicates at least two independent expansion phases into eastern North America. Our results clearly demonstrate that subspecies in P. faunus do not conform to the structuring of genetic variation. More studies on insects and other invertebrates are needed to better understand the scope of this phenomenon. The results of this study will be crucial in designing further experiments to understand the evolution of hostplant utilization in this species.     

Genetic Analysis of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Indri</Emphasis> Reveals No Evidence of Distinct Subspecies

Subspecies were traditionally defined by identifying gaps between phenotypes across the geographic range of a species, and may represent important units in the development of conservation strategies focused on preserving genetic diversity. Previous taxonomic research proposed that phenotypic variation between scattered Indri indri populations warranted the naming of two distinct subspecies, I. i. indri and I. i. variegatus. We tested these subspecific designations using mitochondrial sequence data generated from the control region or D-loop (569 bp) and a large section (2362 bp) of multiple genes and tRNAs known as Pastorini’s fragment and nuclear microsatellite markers. This study used 114 samples of I. indri from 12 rainforest sites in eastern Madagascar, encompassing the entire range of the species. These genetic samples represent multiple populations from low- and high-elevation forests from both putative subspecies. Molecular analyses of the mitochondrial sequence data did not support the two proposed subspecies. Furthermore, the microsatellite analyses showed no significant differences across the range beyond population level differentiation. This study demonstrates the utility of incorporating multiple lines of evidence in addition to phenotypic traits to define species or subspecies.     

Phylogeography and species boundaries of the western North American Nightsnake (Hypsiglena torquata): revisiting the subspecies concept

The subspecies concept has received considerable debate throughout the past century. Subspecies were originally used to delineate potential incipient species, but were later employed to simply capture geographical variation. There is a recent trend to eliminate the trinomial in light of new evidence. Discrete, diagnosable lineages are elevated to specific status, while those that show clinal variation and/or appear to represent ecological pattern classes are placed in synonymy with the parent species and the subspecific epithets are disregarded. Here, I examine the species boundaries of nightsnakes (Hypsiglena torquata) using standard phylogeographic methods and mtDNA data from 178 individuals. Previously, seventeen subspecies of H. torquata were described. In this study, I recognize six species in what was previously considered H. torquata: one is novel, two were previously recognized subspecies, while the remaining three are wide-spread, polymorphic lineages, composed of multiple subspecies. I make the case to maintain the subspecific lineages in these wide-ranging species because they are geographically cohesive, morphologically discrete, and may represent incipient species within each complex, which have not yet achieved speciation. These subspecies are maintained, not only pending future investigations, but because they provide a useful identity for the taxonomy of this diverse lineage.