Sensory Organs on the Antennae of Micropterix calthella L. (Lepidoptera, Micropterigidae)

Antennal sensilla of Micropterix calthella were studied with the scanning electron microscope to determine their morphological types, relative abundance, distribution, location and possible functions. Of the 12 types occurring in both male and female moths, seven are found in most higher Lepidoptera: sensilla trichodea, multiporous s. basiconica, s. coeloconica, s. styloconica, s. chaetica, s. campaniformia and Böhm's bristles. Two types (uniporous s. basiconica and cupuliform organs) are found only in a few families. Three structures are peculiar to Micropterix : ascoïd sensilla, multiporous s. placodea and circular organs. All types of sensilla have characteristic distribution and location pattern similar in both sexes.     

Respiratory system of the primitive moth Micropterix calthella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera : Micropterigidae)

The 1st thoracic spiracular atrium is closed by anterior and posterior muscle fibres extending between its dorsal and ventral wall. The 2nd thoracic spiracle has only a single (anterior) closing lip, movable by a muscle inserting on the wall below the spiracular aperture; this configuration may be a lepidopteran ground-plan autapomorphy. There are functional spiracles on abdominal segments I – VII, each with a closing “bow” and “lever”. There are intrinsic occlusor muscles in all abdominal spiracles and the 1st spiracle has an extrinsic (ventral) dilator. Dorsal dilator muscles or ligaments are absent. A dorsal and a ventral tracheal trunk extend from the 1st thoracic spiracle into the head; the latter supplies the mouthparts and the antenna; there is no connection between the dorsal and ventral cephalic trunk systems. There is a single series of lateral connectives between the spiracles of each side. There is a ventral tracheal commissure in both pterothoracic segments, but none in the prothorax. In each pterothoracic segment an anterior and a posterior tracheal arch give off branches to the wing and anastomose with each other on their downwards course into the leg. Wing tracheation is greatly reduced. The anterior and posterior tracheae of each wing are independent of each other. There is a dorsal commissure in abdominal segment VIII; ventral abdominal commissures are lacking in Micropterix, although present in other micropterigid genera. The terminalia are partly supplied from tracheae arising in segment VII. Air sacs occur in the tibiae only. Phylogenetic aspects of holometabolan tracheation patterns are discussed.     

Larval integument and its differentiations in Micropterix calthella L. (Lepidoptera : Micropterigidae): Anatomy and ultrastructure

The outer layer of the integument of the larva of Micropterix calthella (Lepidoptera : Micropterigidae) shows numerous modifications shaped like crests, nipples, and cones. Sections made at the level of these modifications or structures show that internal and external layers of the exocuticle are separate and form intracuticular cavities filled with a fluid. Every segment on the thorax and abdomen bears 3 disc-shaped structures, one dorsally and 2 laterally. These discs correspond to muscle attachments. Leaf-shaped structures, measuring up to 180 μm high in the last-instar larva, are located along longitudinal lines on all segments. Despite their great anatomical diversity, these structures have the same ultrastructural organization. Although larvae appear to lack spiracles, they have an internal tracheal system, which does not seem to be linked with the intracuticular cavities.     

Ultrastructural analysis of spermatozoa of Korscheltell us lupulinus L. (Lepidoptera : Hepialidae) and Micropterix calthella L. (Lepidoptera : Micropterigidae)

In Korscheltellus lupulinus (Lepidoptera : Hepialidae), both eusperm and parasperm can be found, whereas Micropterix calthella (Lepidoptera : Micropterigidae) produces only eusperm. The eupyrene sperm in K. lupulinus is 250 μm long. Spermatozoa found in K. lupulinus are very similar to those found in higher Lepidoptera, but the eusperm of M. calthella do not possess similar features. As in other Lepidoptera, the axoneme pattern of K. lupulinus is 9 + 9 + 2. Anteriorly, the axoneme is replaced by a fibrous stem similar to an acrosomal structure; posteriorly it becomes progressively uneven. The sperm of K. lupulinus has other original features. The anterior region of the sperm is rigid and contains the nucleus, which has a longitudinal groove adjacent to the axoneme. The 2 mitochondrial derivatives extend from the posterior end of the nucleus. There are no accessory bodies. Many peripheral cytoplasmic vesicles are present. A thin sheath surrounds the cell. It is thick in the parasperm and made of concentric or spiralling lamellae; it does not have any lacinate appendages.The axoneme of the sperm of M. calthella extends over the entire length of the cell and spirals in a helix around the nucleus. The nucleus is also almost as long as the cell. The 2 mitochondrial derivatives, flanked by accessory bodies, follow this spiralling. The axoneme has a 9 + 2 pattern. The plane, which contains the 2 central microtubules, is at an angle with the median plane of the nucleus.     

Les pieces buccales et leurs recepteurs sensoriels chez l'imago de Micropterix calthella L. (Lepidoptera : Micropterigidae)

The aim of our study is to describe the mouthparts of Micropterix calthella (Lepidoptera) and their sensilla by the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The imaginal mouthparts are primitive. They are well adapted for collecting and grinding pollen of Ranunculus flowers. The maxillary palps show specialized structures for collecting pollen: mushroom-shaped hairs and blade-like structures. The brushes on the epipharynx, the teeth on the mandibles and the triturating basket on the hypopharynx grind the pollen to powder before absorption.Sensilla of different types have been observed on the mouthparts. The labrum, galeae, laciniae, and labial palps possess sensilla chaetica. Epipharynx, galeae, laciniae, and hypopharynx show sensilla basiconica. Sensilla trichoidea have been observed on the laciniae and sensilla campaniformia on the maxillary palps and the hypopharynx. At the top of each maxillary palp is a perforated area of unknown function. Two cavities are present at the distal extremity of each labial palp: one with sensilla coeloconica and the other with a perforated heart-shaped organ. The mushroom-shaped hairs, the blade-like structures, and the perforated heart-shaped organs have not yet been described in other insects.     

Phylogeny and Evolution of Pharmacophagy in Tiger Moths (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae)

The focus of this study was to reconstruct a phylogenetic hypothesis for the moth subfamily Arctiinae (tiger moths, woolly bears) to investigate the evolution of larval and adult pharmacophagy of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and the pathway to PA chemical specialization in Arctiinae. Pharmacophagy, collection of chemicals for non-nutritive purposes, is well documented in many species, including the model species Utetheisa ornatrix L. A total of 86 exemplar ingroup species representing tiger moth tribes and subtribes (68 genera) and nine outgroup species were selected. Ingroup species included the most species-rich generic groups to represent the diversity of host-plant associations and pharmacophagous behaviors found throughout Arctiinae. Up to nine genetic markers were sequenced: one mitochondrial (COI barcode region), one nuclear rRNA (D2 region, 28S rRNA), and seven nuclear protein-coding gene fragments: elongation factor 1-α protein, wingless, ribosomal protein subunit S5, carbamoylphosphate synthase domain regions, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase and cytosolic malate dehydrogenase. A total of 6984 bp was obtained for most species. These data were analyzed using model-based phylogenetic methods: maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI). Ancestral pharmacophagous behaviors and obligate PA associations were reconstructed using the resulting Bayes topology and Reconstructing Ancestral States in Phylogenies (RASP) software. Our results corroborate earlier studies on the evolution of adult pharmacophagous behaviors, suggesting that this behavior arose multiple times and is concentrated in the phaegopterine-euchromiine-ctenuchine clade (PEC). Our results suggest that PA specialization may have arisen early in the phylogeny of the subfamily and that facultative larval pharmacophagous behaviors are the derived condition.     

The Pattern of Distribution of Defects of Wing Venation in the Banded Agrion (Calopteryx splendens)

The distribution of morphological structures was studied in wings of the banded agrion (Calopteryx splendens Harr.) from different intrapopulation groups. Dragon flies of odd years of emergence are characterized by a more stable pattern of ontogenetic processes according to the mean total number of venation defects. The sharply increased level of radiation in summer 1986, which coincided with the flight of dragon-flies, could have caused hereditary defects expressed in a sequence of generations of even years of emergence. Apparently, most alternative features of wing venation in dragon-flies can be considered as markers of stability of the ontogenetic processes, which reflect, to a great extent, genotypic features of the organisms in a population. A possible mechanism has been described, which explains the proposed topological model of formation of the venation defects of different types. The increase in mean frequencies of defects can suggest an enhanced development over the aberrant epigenetic trajectories, which may lead to the elimination of these organisms under the influence of various agents, i.e., to the stabilizing selection in a population. The results obtained suggest that defects of venation arise on the stochastic basis and their frequency increases upon destabilization of ontogenetic processes not only by the environmental factors, but also by genetic stress. Venation defects can be successfully used in population biomonitoring.     

DNA mini‐barcodes in taxonomic assignment: a morphologically unique new homoneurous moth clade from the Indian Himalayas described in Micropterix (Lepidoptera,Micropterigidae)

Lees, D. C., Rougerie, R., Zeller‐Lukashort, C. & Kristensen, N. P. (2010). DNA mini‐barcodes in taxonomic assignment: a morphologically unique new homoneurous moth clade from the Indian Himalayas described in Micropterix (Lepidoptera, Micropterigidae). —Zoologica Scripta, 39, 642–661. The first micropterigid moths recorded from the Himalayas, Micropterix cornuella sp. n. and Micropterix longicornuella sp. n. (collected, respectively, in 1935 in the Arunachel Pradesh Province and in 1874 in Darjeeling, both Northeastern India) constitute a new clade, which is unique within the family because of striking specializations of the female postabdomen: tergum VIII ventral plate forming a continuous sclerotized ring, segment IX bearing a pair of strongly sclerotized lateroventral plates, each with a prominent horn‐like posterior process. Fore wing vein R unforked, all Rs veins preapical; hind wing devoid of a discrete vein R. The combination of the two first‐mentioned vein characters suggests close affinity to the large Palearctic genus Micropterix (to some species of which the members of the new clade bear strong superficial resemblance). Whilst absence of the hind wing R is unknown in that genus, this specialization is not incompatible with the new clade being subordinate within it. A 136‐bp fragment of Cytochrome oxidase I successfully amplified from both of the 75‐year‐old specimens strongly supports this generic assignment. Translated to amino acids, this DNA fragment is highly diagnostic of this genus, being identical to that of most (16 of the 26) Micropterix species studied comparatively here, 1–4 codons different from nine other species (including Micropterix wockei that in phylogenetic analyses we infer to be sister to other examined species), whilst 7–15 codons different to other amphiesmenopteran genera examined here. A dating analysis also suggests that the large clade excluding M. wockei to which M. cornuella belongs appeared <31 million years ago. These findings encourage discovery of a significant radiation of Micropterix in the Himalayan region. Our analysis has more general implications for testing the assignment of DNA mini‐barcodes to a taxon, in cases such as museum specimens where the full DNA barcode cannot be recovered.     

Moths (Insecta: Lepidoptera) and conservation: background and perspective

Most attention to conservation of moths has been to species or assemblages of the macrolepidoptera, which includes families rivalling the butterflies in their popularity. The more numerous smaller moths have been largely ignored. As for butterflies, the greatest amount of appraisal and information on conservation is from the northern temperate regions, where conservation is accepted readily and promoted widely. Equivalent needs occur elsewhere, but most have not been assessed except in general terms of concern for natural habitats. This introduction outlines the current approaches and background to moth conservation and the use of moths as tools in conservation assessment, and summarises some concerns, contexts and biological background to help appreciate the plight and uses of this predominant constituent of the Lepidoptera in many parts of the world.     

Timing and Patterns in the Taxonomic Diversification of Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

The macroevolutionary history of the megadiverse insect order Lepidoptera remains little-known, yet coevolutionary dynamics with their angiospermous host plants are thought to have influenced their diversification significantly. We estimate the divergence times of all higher-level lineages of Lepidoptera, including most extant families. We find that the diversification of major lineages in Lepidoptera are approximately equal in age to the crown group of angiosperms and that there appear to have been three significant increases in diversification rates among Lepidoptera over evolutionary time: 1) at the origin of the crown group of Ditrysia about 150 million years ago (mya), 2) at the origin of the stem group of Apoditrysia about 120 mya and finally 3) a spectacular increase at the origin of the stem group of the quadrifid noctuoids about 70 mya. In addition, there appears to be a significant increase in diversification rate in multiple lineages around 90 mya, which is concordant with the radiation of angiosperms. Almost all extant families appear to have begun diversifying soon after the Cretaceous/Paleogene event 65.51 mya.     

Venation Pattern and Fruit Development in Lomatium dasycarpum (Umbelliferae)

Venation patterns of flower and fruit, and their relationshipto fruit development, are described for Lomatium dasycarpum(T. and G.) Coult. and Rose, a member of the tribe Peucedaneae(Umbelliferae). Comparisons of these observations are made withreports of fruit anatomy for other Peucedaneae, such as Angelica,Peucedanum, and Heracleum. These comparisons indicate that thereare distinctly different patterns of development leading toa mature fruit with a similar dorsal flattening. The possiblesignificance of such observations, with regard to our understandingof generic relationships in the tribe, is discussed.     

New Records of Noctuoid Moths (Lepidoptera,Noctuoidea) in the Baikal Region

The results of long-term faunistic studies of the noctuoid moths in the Baikal region and the literature review are presented. An annotated check-list including 83 species of the families Notodontidae, Erebidae, Nolidae, and Noctuidae is given. Data on the previous records of the species from the study region are given. The Noctuoidea fauna of Irkutsk Province comprises 462 species, that of the Republic of Buryatia, 419 species, and that of the Baikal region as a whole, 510 species. The distribution limits are expanded for 17 species of the Noctuoidea complex: the new eastern range boundary is established for 11 species of Erebidae and Noctuidae, and the new western one is established for 5 representatives of Notodontidae, Erebidae and Noctuidae. Two species, Actebia confinis (Staudinger, 1881) and Actebia confusa (Alphéraky, 1882), are new to the Russian fauna. The trophic associations of Phidrimana amurensis (Staudinger, 1892) are established: the larvae of this Euro-Siberian species feed on the leaves of different species of elms (Ulmus japonica Rehder, Ulmus pumila L.). Three noctuid species, Calyptra lata (Butler, 1881), Bryophila granitalis (Butler, 1881) and Cosmia trapezinula (Filipjev, 1927), with large disjunctions of their ranges are reported; these moths are apparently relicts of the Atlantic Period of the Holocene.     

Wing Shape of Four New Bee Fossils (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) Provides Insights to Bee Evolution

Bees (Anthophila) are one of the major groups of angiosperm-pollinating insects and accordingly are widely studied in both basic and applied research, for which it is essential to have a clear understanding of their phylogeny, and evolutionary history. Direct evidence of bee evolutionary history has been hindered by a dearth of available fossils needed to determine the timing and tempo of their diversification, as well as episodes of extinction. Here we describe four new compression fossils of bees from three different deposits (Miocene of la Cerdanya, Spain; Oligocene of Céreste, France; and Eocene of the Green River Formation, U.S.A.). We assess the similarity of the forewing shape of the new fossils with extant and fossil taxa using geometric morphometrics analyses. Predictive discriminant analyses show that three fossils share similar forewing shapes with the Apidae [one of uncertain tribal placement and perhaps near Euglossini, one definitive bumble bee (Bombini), and one digger bee (Anthophorini)], while one fossil is more similar to the Andrenidae. The corbiculate fossils are described as Euglossopteryx biesmeijeri De Meulemeester, Michez, & Engel, gen. nov. sp. nov. (type species of Euglossopteryx Dehon & Engel, n. gen.) and Bombus cerdanyensis Dehon, De Meulemeester, & Engel, sp. nov. They provide new information on the distribution and timing of particular corbiculate groups, most notably the extension into North America of possible Eocene-Oligocene cooling-induced extinctions. Protohabropoda pauli De Meulemeester & Michez, gen. nov. sp. nov. (type species of Protohabropoda Dehon & Engel, n. gen.) reinforces previous hypotheses of anthophorine evolution in terms of ecological shifts by the Oligocene from tropical to mesic or xeric habitats. Lastly, a new fossil of the Andreninae, Andrena antoinei Michez & De Meulemeester, sp. nov., further documents the presence of the today widespread genus Andrena Fabricius in the Late Oligocene of France.     

Allopatric distribution and diversification without niche shift in a bryophyte-feeding basal moth lineage (Lepidoptera: Micropterigidae)

The Lepidoptera represent one of the most successful radiations of plant-feeding insects, which predominantly took place within angiosperms beginning in the Cretaceous period. Angiosperm colonization is thought to underlie the evolutionary success of the Lepidoptera because angiosperms provide an enormous range of niches for ecological speciation to take place. By contrast, the basal lepidopteran lineage, Micropterigidae, remained unassociated with angiosperms since Jurassic times but nevertheless achieved a modest diversity in the Japanese Archipelago. We explored the causes and processes of diversification of the Japanese micropterigid moths by performing molecular phylogenetic analysis and extensive ecological surveying. Phylogenetic analysis recovered a monophyletic group of approximately 25 East Asian endemic species that feed exclusively on the liverwort Conocephalum conicum, suggesting that niche shifts hardly played a role in their diversification. Consistent with the low flying ability of micropterigid moths, the distributions of the Conocephalum specialists are each localized and allopatric, indicating that speciation by geographical isolation has been the major process shaping the diversity of Japanese Micropterigidae. To our knowledge, this is the largest radiation of herbivorous insects that does not accompany any apparent niche differentiation. We suggest that the significance of non-ecological speciation during the diversification of the Lepidoptera is commonly underestimated.     

武夷山自然保护区天蛾科昆虫多样性的初步研究

通过2002年至2008年的陆续采集和2009年5月至10月定期系统调查采集,获得武夷山自然保护区的天蛾标本共2 103号,它们隶属于5亚科、33属、75种和亚种.该保护区天蛾科昆虫的区系成分以东洋区种类为主,其次是广布种,并且有少量的古北区种类及特有种;天蛾种类和个体数量的高峰期基本集中在6～8月,鹰翅天蛾Ambul...     

The mitochondrial genomes of three skippers: Insights into the evolution of the family Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera)

We sequenced the mitogenomes of Astictopterus jama, Isoteinon lamprospilus and Notocrypta curvifascia to obtain further insight into the mitogenomic architecture evolution and performed phylogenetic reconstruction using 29 Hesperiidae mitogenome sequences. The complete mitogenome sequences of A. jama, I. lamprospilus and N. curvifascia are 15,430, 15,430 and 15,546 bp in size, respectively. All contain 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and an A + T-rich region. Nucleotide composition is A + T biased, and the majority of the protein-coding genes exhibit a negative AT-skew, which is reflected in the nucleotide composition, codon, and amino acid usage. The A + T-rich region is comprised of nonrepetitive sequences, including the motif ATAGA followed by a poly-T stretch, a microsatellite-like element next to the ATTTA motif, and a poly-A adjacent to tRNAs. Although most genes evolve under a strong purifying selection, the entire nad gene family (especially nad6) exhibits somewhat relaxed purifying selection, and atp8, evolving under a highly relaxed selection, is an outlier in the family Hesperiidae. Several different approaches relatively consistently indicated that nad6, atp8 and nad4 are comparatively fast-evolving genes in this family, which may have implications for future phylogenetic, population genetics and species diagnostics studies. For phylogenetic analyses of Hesperiidae, we tested a few datasets, and found that the one comprising all 37 genes produced the highest node support, indicating that the inclusion of RNAs improves the phylogenetic signal. Results indicate that subfamilies Euschemoninae, Heteropterinae, and Coeliadinae are monophyletic with strong nodal support, but Pyrginae and Eudaminae are paraphyletic. Finally, we confirm that A. jama and I. lamprospilus are close relatives.     

Sampling to Assess a Re-Established Appalachian Forest in Ohio Based on Gelechioid Moths (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea)

A list of microlepidoptera belonging to the superfamily Gelechioidea was produced from June trap samples from sites within the Wayne National Forest (Lawrence County), an Appalachian forest in Southern Ohio that was once a greatly disturbed area and has since re-established over a period of nearly 100 years. The composition and diversity of Lawrence county is compared to lists of gelechioid moths generated by other surveys in the eastern United States: the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, an Ohio study (Summerville and Crist 2003), and unpublished data from Connecticut (Wagner). From comparison with these studies, we address two questions: (1) How well do passive surveys of Gelechioidea compare to more labor intensive surveys? (2) How does the regenerated Wayne National Forest compare to other well documented areas with respect to gelechioid diversity? Our sample of diversity, though more narrow in time and area, compares favorably to more exhaustive sampling and demonstrates that it may be more efficient to focus on target groups in focal localities when time and resources are limited rather than conduct extensive sampling programs.