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...     

Phylogeny of the death's head hawkmoths, Acherontia[Laspeyres], and related genera (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae: Sphinginae: Acherontiini)

Abstract. Adult death's head hawkmoths (Acherontia species) have a unique feeding biology as cleptoparasites of honeybees, stealing honey from the combs, rather than imbibing nectar from flowers. The moths have a range of features, both morphological and behavioural, that enable them to successfully enter, feed and escape from the colonies. These adaptations may vary among the three Acherontia species and allow them each to target different species of honeybee. A cladistic analysis is presented of the hawkmoths of tribe Acherontiini. The study aims to resolve the relationships of the genera and species of Acherontiini, with a particular focus on the three species of Acherontia. The dataset comprises sixty‐five characters derived from adult, larval and pupal morphology, and larva host‐plant biology. These data are analysed using equal weighting and implied weighting. Acherontiini and each constituent genus are recovered as monophyletic. However, within Coelonia, there is ambiguity in that the sister‐species relationships C. brevis+C. fulvinotata and C. fulvinotata + C. solani are equally parsimonious under both weighting schemes. Furthermore, under equal weighting Agrius is placed equally parsimoniously as the sister group of either Acherontia + Coelonia or Callosphingia. Under implied weighting, however, only the latter relationship is most parsimonious (fit). Within Acherontia, A. atropos and A. styx are always recovered as sister species to the exclusion of A. lachesis. The results of the phylogenetic analysis provide an objective basis for future studies of the unique cleptoparasitic association of these moths.     

Museum archives revisited: Central Asiatic hawkmoths reveal exceptionally high late Pliocene species diversification (Lepidoptera,Sphingidae)

Three high‐elevation Hyles species of Central Asia have proven difficult to sample, and thus, only a limited number of specimens are available for study. Ancient DNA techniques were applied to sequence two mitochondrial genes from ‘historic’ museum specimens of Hyles gallii, Hyles renneri and Hyles salangensis to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships of these species. This approach enabled us to include the holotypes and paratypes. The status of H. salangensis as a species endemic to a mountain range north of Kabul in Afghanistan is confirmed by this study. It is most closely related to Hyles nicaea and H. gallii, and quite distant from the clade comprising the species from Hyles vespertilio to Hyles tithymali, despite this group and H. salangensis both completely lacking an arolium on the pretarsus. Our results show that the samples assigned to H. renneri and Hyles livornica tatsienluica are conspecific and so we reinstate Hyles tatsienluica stat. nov. as the valid name for this species and synonymize H. renneri syn. nov. with it. This study shows that the distribution range postulated for H. tatsienluica extends from Nepal well into the mountains of south‐western China. The distribution ranges of H. livornica and H. tatsienluica overlap. The study confirms the previously proposed synonymies of Hyles nepalensis, Hyles gallii intermedia and Hyles gallii tibetanica with H. gallii. Extensive species sampling (over 80% of Hyles species) in this study allowed additional analyses. The dated phylogeny reveals the global Hyles hawkmoth radiation to be much more recent than previously thought: it began in the Late Miocene and culminated in a Pleistocene burst of diversification in the Northern Hemisphere. Ancestral ranges of basal nodes were reconstructed as highly equivocal, but the Neotropics has the highest probability in the two oldest nodes. Although the origins of the Madagascan and Australian species also remain ambiguous, a large crown clade of fifteen species was reconstructed to have originated in the Palaearctic. The wide distribution ranges of the two migratory species, H. livornica and H. gallii, appear to blur any traces of the biogeographic origin of the clades containing these species. Specialization in larval host plant use onto particular plant families from the ancestral condition ‘polyphagous’ may have led to an increased rate of speciation and phylogenetic diversification in three subgroups of Hyles (the Hawaiian clade, the Hyles centralasiae group and the Hyles euphorbiae complex).     

A molecular phylogeny of the hawkmoth genus Hyles (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae, Macroglossinae)

The hawkmoth genus Hyles is one of 15 genera in the subtribe Choerocampina of the subfamily Macroglossinae. Due to a remarkable uniformity, morphological characters usually used to identify and classify Lepidoptera at the species level cannot be used in this genus. Instead, we used DNA sequences comprising about 2300 bp derived from the mitochondrial genes COX I, COX II, and tRNA-leucine to elucidate the phylogeny of Hyles. The results corroborate the monophyly of Hyles but conflict with previous internal classifications of the genus based on morphology. Hyles seems to have evolved in the Neotropics during the Oligocene/Eocene epochs and the molecular data (which evolved clock-like) confirm the hypothesis that it is a very young genus that radiated on a global scale rather quickly. We hypothesize its sister group to be one of the genera Deilephila, Theretra or Xylophanes. The Nearctic may have been colonized rapidly by Hyles once the land bridge formed during the Pliocene, since within this same Epoch, the invasion of the Palaearctic appears to have proceeded from the East, via the Bering route. The colonization of Australia appears to have occurred rather early in Hyles radiation, although the route is not clear. We propose that the radiation of the Hyles euphorbiae-complex s. str. (HEC) occurred as recently as the Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary and that its roots can still be reconstructed in Asia. Hyles dahlii is closely related to the HEC, but a sister group relationship to the HEC s. str. cannot be corroborated unequivocally. HEC population ranges appear to have tracked climate oscillations during the Pleistocene Ice Ages, resulting in hybridization around the Mediterranean Sea as they repeatedly intermingled. Comparison of the phylogeny with food plant affiliations leads us to hypothesize that Euphorbia monophagy evolved at least two times independently within Hyles.     

Comparative morphology of the spiracles of the Papilionidae,Sphingidae, and Saturniidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera)

The morphology, ultrastructure, and innervation of the spiracles of the instars and adults of representatives of three lepidopteran families were examined: Ornithoptera priamus poseidon and Pachliopta aristolochiae (Papilionidae), Attacus atlas (Saturniidae), and Acherontia atropos (Sphingidae).Peritreme and atrium show stage- and family-specific structures for protecting the internal valve apparatus. The gross morphology of the cuticular valve mechanism is uniform within the three families, consisting of a rigid bow and a movable bar with a lever. In adult Papilionidae, all cuticular parts (bow, bar and lever) of the valve are innervated by multipolar dendrites. Internal or external cuticular chemo- or hygroreceptors, which could participate in the regulation of respiration, could not be detected in any stage. The closing muscle inserts between the tip of the lever and the base of the bar, and is innervated only by motor neurons. The elasticity of the cuticular system and an opener are the antagonists to the closing muscle. The spiracular opener of the adult Papilionidae and of all instars of the moths is an elastic ligament. The opener of the larval and pupal spiracles of the Papilionidae, however, is a single thickened muscle fiber surrounded by an elastic sheath of connective tissue. As it contains motor and multipolar sensory neurons, we assume that it may function as a stretch receptor for controlling the spiracular opening state.     

Developmental Changes in the Bombyxin-and Insulin-like Immunoreactive Neurosecretory System in the Wax Moth, Galleria mellonella

Four medial neurosecretory cells (MNC) and 4 lateral neurosecretory cells (LNC) in each brain hemisphere, and one pair of cells in each thoracic ganglion (TG) of Galleria larva react with antibodies against bombyxin and insulin. Material secreted from the MNC and LNC is released mainly in the corpora allata, and that from the TG through the ventral median nerves. Intrinsic secretory cells of the corpora cardiaca (CC) also contain bombyxin-like, but not insulin-like material. The immunoreactivities all disappear during molts and reappear with resumption of feeding. In the MNC and TG they reappear for less than a day, but in cells of the CC immunoreactivity reappears for the whole feeding period. Before pupation, the LNC become temporarily immunopositive towards the end of feeding period, and the MNC and TG during the wandering period, i.e. at the time of prothoracic gland stimulation. Immunoreactivity disappears during the pupal molt. In pupae it is present in the 4 pairs of MNC and 1–2 pairs of LNC 12–48 hr after ecdysis, and in cells of the CC from 12 hr after ecdysis until the end of the pupal instar. In adult, immunoreactivity is restricted to 2 pairs of the LNC and to CC cells.     

Diversity patterns and chronobiology of hawkmoths (Lepidoptera,Sphingidae) in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest

As biodiversity loss rapidly increases through habitat degradation in the Amazon rainforest, the need to characterize and understand the species diversity becomes even more important. In this study we used empirical and published datasets to assess the diversity patterns and produce the first overview of the sphingid fauna in the Brazilian Amazon. We compared the diversity patterns in distinct areas in the biome by analyzing hawkmoth assemblages considering both species composition and abundance, and asked whether these communities are structured according to environmental factors. Additionally, we provide information of diel activity pattern of sphingids and evaluated the importance of time in sampling effort. We found that the Brazilian Amazon may harbor more than 80 % of the hawkmoth species that occur in Brazil and more than half of the species recorded in South America. Species composition and assemblage structure is determined by the quality of the habitat (disturbed or undisturbed vegetation), temperature and relative humidity. Finally, we show that the temporal activity of sphingids presents distinct patterns at different taxonomic levels, highlighting the importance of full night collections to better characterize the fauna. Our results show that habitat alteration can be an important factor affecting sphingid assemblages, illustrating the importance of Protected Areas in species maintenance.     

G-CSF (Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor) in the Central Nervous System

G-CSF (Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor) is a hematopoietic growth factor that has been known for 20 years, and has been named for its role in the proliferation and differentiation of cells of the myeloic lineage. We have uncovered a novel spectrum of activities of G-CSF in the central nervous system. G-CSF and its receptor are expressed by neurons in many brain regions, and are upregulated upon experimental stroke. In neurons, G-CSF acts anti-apoptotically by activating several protective pathways. In vivo, G-CSF decreases infarct volumes in acute stroke models in rodents. Moreover, G-CSF stimulates neuronal differentiation of adult neural stem cells in the brain, and improves long-term recovery in more chronic stroke models. Thus, G-CSF is a novel neurotrophic factor, and a highly attractive candidate for the treatment of neurodegenerative conditions. Here we discuss this new property of G-CSF in contrast to its known functions in the hematopoietic system, summarize data from other groups on G-CSF’s actions in cerebral ischemia, compare G-CSF to Erythropoietin (EPO) in the CNS and highlight clinical implications.     

Pericardial cell ultrastructure in the tobacco hornworm: Manduca sexta L. (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae)

The ultrastructure of the pericardial athrocytes of fifth instar tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta L. (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) was examined by transmission electron microscopy. These cells are highly specialized for the maintenance of hemolymph homeostasis by synthesis and secretion of some proteins, and uptake and degradation of others. We observed a striking radial zonation with numerous labyrinthine channels extending into the cell providing a large surface area for enhanced efficiency of endocytosis. Granular material was imported into the endosomal compartment by fusion of endocytotic vesicles from the basal region. Anatomical evidence supports the hypothesis that proteins are transported from the endosome to the lysosome, by maturation of the early endosome to form the late endosome/lysosome, as opposed to vesicular transport. The presence of catalase in athrocyte lysosomes is reported for the first time. Endocytosis in the athrocytes of insects is compared with endocytosis in vertebrate systems.     

Effects of dietary variation on growth,composition, and maturation of Manduca sexta (Sphingidae: Lepidoptera)

Most studies linking dietary variation with insect fitness focus on a single dietary component and late larval growth. We examined the effects of variation in multiple dietary factors over most life stages of the sphingid moth, Manduca sexta. Larvae received artificial diets in which protein, sucrose, and water content were varied. The relationship between larval size, growth and consumption rates differed significantly across diets. Larvae on control and low-sucrose diets grew most rapidly and attained the largest pupal and adult sizes. Conversely, larvae on low-water and low-protein diets initially grew slowly, but accelerated in the fifth instar and became pupae and adults comparable to control animals in size. There were no fundamental differences in protein:carbohydrate consumption patterns or strategies among experimental diets and larval instars. However, inadequate dietary water appeared to be more important for early than late instar larvae. Larvae on all artificial diets showed increasing fat content throughout all stages, including wandering and metamorphosis. Compensatory feeding among low-water and low-protein larvae was correlated with significantly higher fat content in larvae, pupae and adults, whereas low-sucrose animals were substantially leaner than those on the control diet. These differences may have strong effects on adult physiology, reproduction, and foraging patterns.     

Taxonomy,phylogeography and climate relations of the Western Palaearctic spurge hawkmoth (Lepidoptera,Sphingidae, Macroglossinae)

Hundsdoerfer, AK., Mende, MB., Kitching, IJ. & Cordellier, M. (2011). Taxonomy, phylogeography and climate relations of the Western Palaearctic spurge hawkmoth (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae, Macroglossinae). —Zoologica Scripta, 40, 403–417. The primary aim of this study was to analyse mitochondrial genetic variability within the Hyles euphorbiae lineage in the Western Palaearctic, where observations of morphology have indicated much greater differentiation than is implied by the current taxonomy. The scope of the study is broadened further by including an analysis of the possible influences of climatic factors on lineage distributions. Mitochondrial sequences from three genes totalling an unambiguous alignment of 2284 bp were obtained for 356 individuals of the H. euphorbiae complex (HEC) s.s. Genetic admixture, network and climatic factor analyses were used to analyse the data. Unexpected mitochondrial variability was uncovered within the distribution range of H. euphorbiae in southern Europe, with two additional distinct clusters being found, both with rather patchy occurrences. The results of the genetic analysis presented here confirm a distinct H. cretica on Crete and the Dodecanese Islands and a distinct H. robertsi in Iran that hybridises with H. euphorbiae. Comparison of the molecular data with larval morphology shows only limited correlation of genetic clusters with pattern elements. The genetic network of the HEC s.s. shows strong incongruence with traditional taxonomy. Ecological niche modelling based on climate data revealed that the three best‐sampled clusters (H. tithymali, the well‐known H. euphorbiae lineage from Europe, and the previously unknown mitochondrial H. euphorbiae lineage that occurs mainly in Italy) could all occur in southern Italy and on the Mediterranean Islands. Biotic interactions appear to explain the observed ranges better than abiotic factors alone.     

Biology and Host Range of the Hawk Moth Nephele densoi Keferstein (Lep.: Sphingidae), a Potential Agent for the Biological Control of Rubbervine Cryptostegia grandiflora R. Br. (Asclepiadaceae)

The larvae of the hawk moth, Nephele densoi Keferstein, feed on the leaves of Cryptostegia grandiflora R. Br. in Madagascar. Host-specificity tests showed that feeding by N. densoi is restricted to plants in the families Asclepiadaceae (subfamily Periplocoideae), Apocynaceae and Moraceae, but only plants in the subfamily Periplocoideae supported larval development. The comparatively wide host range contrasts with the narrow host range demonstrated for the Australian moth N. subvaria (Walker). The possible evolution of host plant specialization in this genus is discussed.     

Biochemical Characterization of C-type Lectin in the Diamondback Moth,Plutella xylostella (Yponomeutidae: Lepidoptera)

Lectins due to their affinity to carbohydrate moiety are involved in diverse functions like cell attachment in embryogenesis, organogenesis and cellular trafficking as well as nonself recognition in immune responses. Agglutinating activity was detectable in Plutella xylostella (Yponomeutidae: Lepidoptera) against 14 different species including bacterial and yeast cells, among which the whole body homogenate of P. xylostella agglutinated Providencia vermicola, Flavobacterium sp., and Saccharomyces cerevisiae with high titers. On analysis of physico-chemical properties, this putative agglutinating factor (s) was specifically dependent on the presence of Ca⁺⁺ for its activity and was reversibly sensitive to EDTA. The agglutinating activity was stable at pH 6–8, but was heat-labile. The agglutinating factor (s) was proteinaceous in nature as it was completely precipitable by ammonium sulphate. Its carbohydrate binding activity was demonstrated by inhibition assay, which revealed that methyl α-D-mannopyranoside inhibited agglutination against P. vermicola. In contrast, P. xylostella parasitized by an endoparasitoid wasp, Cotesia plutellae (Braconidae: Hymenoptera), also showed the agglutination properties with somewhat higher activity than the nonparasitized. Carbohydrate inhibition assay with methyl α-D-mannopyranoside was detectable at one-fold higher concentration in the homogenate of the parasitized larvae, suggesting that the agglutinating factor (s) is inducible or due to de novo parasitism-specific synthesis. These results suggest the presence of calcium-dependent lectin in P. xylostella and an alteration in the agglutinating property by C. plutellae parasitization.     

Relationships among catalpol sequestration,metabolism and nutritional efficiencies of the catalpa sphinx,Ceratomia catalpae (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae)

Sequestration of defensive compounds acquired from the environment can be costly to herbivorous insects. The catalpa sphinx, Ceratomia catalpae Boisduval (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) sequesters the iridoid glycoside catalpol, which it acquires from Catalpa spp. (Lamiales: Bignoniaceae) host plants, at concentrations above those in host plant leaves. Previous research has shown that C. catalpae larvae are avoided by predatory arthropods; however, catalpol sequestration is negatively associated with the larval immune response, suggesting a cost to sequestration. By measuring the mass of C. catalpae larvae, their frass, and their diet, as well as respiration rate and catalpol sequestration, this study aimed to determine whether sequestration is also associated with reduced growth and nutritional efficiency. I found that respiration rate was negatively correlated with the amount of catalpol sequestered and positively correlated with the concentration, or proportion dry mass of catalpol sequestered, and that the amount of catalpol sequestered was positively correlated with three of four measures of nutritional efficiency. Larger larvae that were closer to pupation sequestered very low proportions dry mass of catalpol and had a reduced respiratory rate per unit mass. These results suggest that sequestration has some costs for expenditure of energy, but is positively correlated with several growth and nutrition‐related processes. Instead, the immunological cost of sequestration measured in previous studies could be due to direct effects on immune system components. Further research on the potential metabolic costs of chemical defense in other specialist species is recommended.     

Reorganization of the ventral nerve cord in the moth Manduca sexta (L.) (Lepidoptera : Sphingidae)

Morphology of the ventral nerve cord of the hawkmoth, Manduca sexta (Lepidoptera : Sphingidae), changes at the larval-pupal transition as several separate larval ganglia fuse to form single ganglia characteristic of the adult. We examined in detail the time course of ganglionic fusion. Changes in the relative positions of the ganglia were studied by staining the tissue with methylene or toluidine blue. Alterations in the positions and structure of individual neurons were studied by filling neurons with a cobalt-lysine complex. The first gross morphological change, anterior movement of the first abdominal ganglion, is visible within the first 24 hr after pupal ecdysis. Adult ventral nerve cord morphology is recognizable 6 days later, approximately 12 days before the adult will emerge. The sequence in which the individual ganglia fuse is invariant. During ganglionic fusion, the neuronal cell bodies and associated neuropil move out of their former ganglionic sheath and through the sheath covering the connectives. Axons between the fusing ganglia form loops in the shortening connectives. The presence of looping axons is a morphological feature that identifies the boundaries between ganglia during intermediate stages of fusion. Some individual adult neurons also show looped axons at the boundaries of fused ganglia. These axonal loops may be a valuable morphological marker by which neurons can be characterized as conserved neurons.     

Incongruence of morphology and genetic markers in Hyles tithymali (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) from the Canary Islands

Hyles t. tithymali on the Canary Islands has been observed to occur in two larval morphotypes, connected by intermediate forms along a geographical cline from east to west. In this study, it was tested whether this distribution of phenotypes reflects a genealogical division of the population. mtDNA sequence data (COI + II, tRNA-leu) and genomic fingerprints from intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR)-PCR data were used. The sequence data had low variation (max. 0.4%), and phylogenetic analyses did not reveal groups that correlated with the morphotype. The samples did not group according to their island of origin and the most common haplotype was shared among all islands. Although nine haplotypes occurred only on the westernmost islands, the data showed little phylogeographical structure. The population of H. t. tithymali appears to reflect a comparatively rapid and recent colonization event of the Canary Islands. The ISSR-PCR data were very variable and did not reveal patterns corresponding to morphological variation or geographical distribution. Although the two morphs observed may represent the first stage of differentiation between two lineages, the recent origin of H. t. tithymali provided insufficient time for complete lineage sorting of ancestral polymorphism. Hence, the population of Hyles t. tithymali on the Canary Islands appears genetically more homogeneous than that was expected from the phenotypic distribution of the two morphotypes in the population.