Development and characterization of eight microsatellite markers in bullet tuna (Auxis rochei)

The bullet tuna (Auxis rochei) is a worldwide species of high commercial value in Spain. Nevertheless, little information is currently available about the genetic characteristics of wild A. rochei populations. In this survey, we have developed eight new microsatellites for the bullet tuna using an enriched genome library protocol. Primers were screened on a total of 78 individuals from three wild populations (Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Pacific), revealing seven to 27 alleles per locus with expected heterozygosities ranging from 0.63 to 0.97. These markers can be potentially useful tools for use in population genetic studies.     

Characterization of microsatellite loci for the redbanded seabream,Pagrus auriga (Teleostei,Sparidae)

The redbanded seabream Pagrus auriga (Teleostei, Sparidae) is a species of a high commercial value in Spain. There is currently little information available about the genetic characteristics of both wild and cultured populations. In this survey, we have developed eight polymorphic microsatellites for the redbanded seabream using an enriched genome library protocol. All of them were polymorphic in the 64 individuals tested, 22 of which were wild specimens, and 42 were individuals from a captive reproductive broodstock. These markers can potentially be useful tools for use in population genetic studies.     

A molecular phylogeny of Eumorpha (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) and the evolution of anti‐predator larval eyespots

Many insects possess conspicuous external circular ring markings that resemble the eye of a vertebrate. These ‘eyespots’ typically function to startle or otherwise deter predators, but few studies have examined how eyespots have evolved. We study the evolution of the posterior larval eyespot in the charismatic New World hawkmoth genus Eumorpha. While Eumorpha has a range of posterior larval eyespot shapes and sizes, little is known of how this trait has evolved because phylogenetic relationships of Eumorpha remain largely unknown. In this study, we included 62 individuals from 23 of 26 described Eumorpha species, and sequenced four genes (CAD, EF‐1α, Wingless and COI), totaling 3773 base pairs. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic methods produced largely congruent trees with well‐supported relationships. Our analyses reveal that Eumorpha probably had an ancestor with a posterior larval eyespot and that the eyespot was subsequently lost in at least three lineages. Eumorpha appears to have originated in Central and South America and expanded its distribution to North America.