WING SHAPE VARIATION ASSOCIATED WITH MIMICRY IN BUTTERFLIES

Mimetic resemblance in unpalatable butterflies has been studied by evolutionary biologists for over a century, but has largely focused on the convergence in wing color patterns. In Heliconius numata, discrete color‐pattern morphs closely resemble comimics in the distantly related genus Melinaea. We examine the possibility that the shape of the butterfly wing also shows adaptive convergence. First, simple measures of forewing dimensions were taken of individuals in a cross between H. numata morphs, and showed quantitative differences between two of the segregating morphs, f. elegans and f. silvana. Second, landmark‐based geometric morphometric and elliptical Fourier outline analyses were used to more fully characterize these shape differences. Extension of these techniques to specimens from natural populations suggested that, although many of the coexisting morphs could not be discriminated by shape, the differences we identified between f. elegans and f. silvana hold in the wild. Interestingly, despite extensive overlap, the shape variation between these two morphs is paralleled in their respective Melinaea comimics. Our study therefore suggests that wing‐shape variation is associated with mimetic resemblance, and raises the intriguing possibility that the supergene responsible for controlling the major switch in color pattern between morphs also contributes to wing shape differences in H. numata.     

A set of microsatellite markers for Heliconius melpomene and closely related species

The butterflies in the genus Heliconius offer an exceptional opportunity for the study of the ecology and genetics of an adaptive radiation due to their extensive intra‐ and interspecific variation in wing colour patterns and mimetic associations. Here, we characterize 22 polymorphic microsatellite loci in Heliconius melpomene that have been shown to be useful for linkage mapping and population studies in this and other species. Levels of variation were high, although heterozygosity deficiencies were found in most loci, probably due to null alleles. The loci showed broad amplification success on six other species across the genus.     

Altitude and life‐history shape the evolution of Heliconius wings

Phenotypic divergence between closely related species has long interested biologists. Taxa that inhabit a range of environments and have diverse natural histories can help understand how selection drives phenotypic divergence. In butterflies, wing color patterns have been extensively studied but diversity in wing shape and size is less well understood. Here, we assess the relative importance of phylogenetic relatedness, natural history, and habitat on shaping wing morphology in a large dataset of over 3500 individuals, representing 13 Heliconius species from across the Neotropics. We find that both larval and adult behavioral ecology correlate with patterns of wing sexual dimorphism and adult size. Species with solitary larvae have larger adult males, in contrast to gregarious Heliconius species, and indeed most Lepidoptera, where females are larger. Species in the pupal‐mating clade are smaller than those in the adult‐mating clade. Interestingly, we find that high‐altitude species tend to have rounder wings and, in one of the two major Heliconius clades, are also bigger than their lowland relatives. Furthermore, within two widespread species, we find that high‐altitude populations also have rounder wings. Thus, we reveal novel adaptive wing morphological divergence among Heliconius species beyond that imposed by natural selection on aposematic wing coloration.     

A major locus controls a biologically active pheromone component in Heliconius melpomene

Understanding the production, response, and genetics of signals used in mate choice can inform our understanding of the evolution of both intraspecific mate choice and reproductive isolation. Sex pheromones are important for courtship and mate choice in many insects, but we know relatively little of their role in butterflies. The butterfly Heliconius melpomene uses a complex blend of wing androconial compounds during courtship. Electroantennography in H. melpomene and its close relative Heliconius cydno showed that responses to androconial extracts were not species specific. Females of both species responded equally strongly to extracts of both species, suggesting conservation of peripheral nervous system elements across the two species. Individual blend components provoked little to no response, with the exception of octadecanal, a major component of the H. melpomene blend. Supplementing octadecanal on the wings of octadecanal-rich H. melpomene males led to an increase in the time until mating, demonstrating the bioactivity of octadecanal in Heliconius. Using quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, we identified a single locus on chromosome 20 responsible for 41% of the parental species’ difference in octadecanal production. This QTL does not overlap with any of the major wing color or mate choice loci, nor does it overlap with known regions of elevated or reduced F_ST. A set of 16 candidate fatty acid biosynthesis genes lies underneath the QTL. Pheromones in Heliconius carry information relevant for mate choice and are under simple genetic control, suggesting they could be important during speciation.     

Variable Selection and the Coexistence of Multiple mimetic forms of the Butterfly Heliconius numata

Polymorphism in aposematic animals and coexistence of multiple mimicry rings within a habitat are not predicted by classical Müllerian mimicry. The butterfly Heliconius numata Cramer (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae; Heliconiinae) is both polymorphic and aposematic. The polymorphism is due to variation at a single locus (or `supergene') which determines colour patterns involved in Müllerian mimicry. We sampled 11 sites in a small area (approx. 60×30km) of North-eastern Peru for H. numata and its co-mimics in the genus Melinaea and Athyrtis (Ithomiinae), and examined the role of temporal and spatial heterogeneity in the maintenance of polymorphism. Colour-patterns of Melinaea communities, which constitute the likely `mimetic environment' for H. numata, are differentiated on a more local scale than morphs of H. numata, but the latter do show a strong and significant response to local selection for colour-pattern. In contrast, analysis of enzyme polymorphism in H. numata across the region revealed no spatial structure, which is consistent with a high mobility of this species. Differences in spatial variability in the two taxa may have caused H. numata to become polymorphic, while temporal variability, not significant in this study, probably has a lesser effect. The mimetic polymorphism is therefore explained by means of multiple selection-migration clines at a single locus, a similar process to that which explains narrow hybrid zones between geographic races of other Heliconius butterflies. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Multi-Allelic Major Effect Genes Interact with Minor Effect QTLs to Control Adaptive Color Pattern Variation in Heliconius erato

Recent studies indicate that relatively few genomic regions are repeatedly involved in the evolution of Heliconius butterfly wing patterns. Although this work demonstrates a number of cases where homologous loci underlie both convergent and divergent wing pattern change among different Heliconius species, it is still unclear exactly how many loci underlie pattern variation across the genus. To address this question for Heliconius erato, we created fifteen independent crosses utilizing the four most distinct color pattern races and analyzed color pattern segregation across a total of 1271 F2 and backcross offspring. Additionally, we used the most variable brood, an F2 cross between H. himera and the east Ecuadorian H. erato notabilis, to perform a quantitative genetic analysis of color pattern variation and produce a detailed map of the loci likely involved in the H. erato color pattern radiation. Using AFLP and gene based markers, we show that fewer major genes than previously envisioned control the color pattern variation in H. erato. We describe for the first time the genetic architecture of H. erato wing color pattern by assessing quantitative variation in addition to traditional linkage mapping. In particular, our data suggest three genomic intervals modulate the bulk of the observed variation in color. Furthermore, we also identify several modifier loci of moderate effect size that contribute to the quantitative wing pattern variation. Our results are consistent with the two-step model for the evolution of mimetic wing patterns in Heliconius and support a growing body of empirical data demonstrating the importance of major effect loci in adaptive change.     

Evolution of a mimicry supergene from a multilocus architecture

The origin and evolution of supergenes have long fascinated evolutionary biologists. In the polymorphic butterfly Heliconius numata, a supergene controls the switch between multiple different forms, and results in near-perfect mimicry of model species. Here, we use a morphometric analysis to quantify the variation in wing pattern observed in two broods of H. numata with different alleles at the supergene locus, 'P'. Further, we genotype the broods to associate the variation we capture with genetic differences. This allows us to begin mapping the quantitative trait loci that have minor effects on wing pattern. In addition to finding loci on novel chromosomes, our data, to our knowledge, suggest for the first time that ancestral colour-pattern loci, known to have major effects in closely related species, may contribute to the wing patterns displayed by H. numata, despite the large transfer of effects to the supergene.     

New microsatellite markers for the bush rat,Rattus fuscipes greyii: characterization and cross‐species amplification

We describe here 16 new microsatellite markers for the bush rat, Rattus fuscipes greyii, and characterize their cross‐species amplification within the Australian Rattus and at a greater level of divergence in Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus. Within R. f. greyii, all of the loci are highly polymorphic, with six to 24 alleles per locus across the species range and expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.48 to 0.90 per locus within a sample of 24 rats from a large population on Kangaroo Island. Cross‐species amplification rates were approximately 87% within the Australian Rattus and approximately 50% within R. rattus and R. norvegicus. These loci are highly polymorphic with a high success rate of cross‐species amplification, making them potentially useful for a wide range of genetic studies.     

Development of new polymorphic microsatellite markers for the New World screw‐worm Cochliomyia hominivorax (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

In this report, we describe the development of seven new polymorphic microsatellite markers for Cochliomyia hominivorax, a parasitic insect pest of primary agricultural and veterinary importance throughout the Neotropics. The number of alleles found ranged from 3 to 13 per locus, with the expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.4220 to 0.9045. The across‐taxa amplification of some of these new microsatellite loci was successful in four additional Calliphoridae species. In combination with the 10 polymorphic microsatellite markers previously described, the markers developed here should provide a high resolution for assessing the fine‐scale genetic structure of New World screw‐worms.     

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in Lampsilis abrupta (Bivalvia: Unionidae) and cross‐species amplification within the genus

We have documented the first microsatellites isolated from a unionid and demonstrated that these markers can be useful for surveys of neutral genetic variation in several Lampsilis species. We describe the isolation and characterization of 15 polymorphic microsatellite DNA loci for the endangered unionid Lampsilis abrupta. Among individuals from five collections, allelic diversity ranged from six to 17 alleles and averaged 10.4 alleles per locus. Individual heterozygosity was observed to range from 20.0% to 86.7% and averaged 46.9%. Cross‐species amplification was investigated in nine additional Lampsilis species. A high level of flanking sequence similarity was inferred as 13 of 15 loci amplified in at least seven species.     

Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci in the endangered Portuguese freshwater fish Squalius aradensis (Cyprinidae)

Here we describe the isolation and characterization of six polymorphic microsatellite loci for Squalius aradensis. The number of observed alleles per locus ranged from three to 16 and the observed heterozygosity from 0.22 to 0.95. These primers will be useful in determining the population structure of S. aradensis and for conservation genetics of this endangered and endemic species. Furthermore, successful cross‐species amplification in S. alburnoides and Chondrostoma lusitanicum suggests that a wider amplification of these markers is possible.     

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in the marine gastropod Nucella lapillus

Our paper deals the cloning and characterization of microsatellites from Nucella lapillus, and tests cross‐species amplification in a congener and in two species of the confamilial genus Thais. Fourteen of 31 microsatellite loci tested were polymorphic, with 4–9 (mean 5.93) alleles per locus. The observed heterozygosity per locus varied from 0.10 to 0.85 (mean 0.37) and expected heterozygosity from 0.48 to 0.85 (mean 0.65). Most primer pairs were successfully amplified in N. freycineti, although only one primer pair was successfully amplified in both species of Thais. The markers are potentially useful for other species of Nucella.     

Identification of microsatellite loci from Epimedium koreanum and cross‐species amplification in four species of Epimedium (Berberidaceae)

Nineteen polymorphic microsatellite markers were isolated and characterized from a trinucleotide enriched partial genomic library of Epimedium koreanum. The average allele number of these microsatellites was 5.9 per locus, ranging from two to 11. The observed heterozygosity (H_O) and expected heterozygosity (H_E) at the population level were 0.00–0.90 and 0.12–0.90, respectively. In addition, the results of cross‐species amplification of this set of microsatellite markers in four closely related Epimedium species, E. brevicornum, E. sagittatum, E. pubescens and E. wushanense, revealed that these microsatellite markers were useful for population genetic structure evaluation and genotype analysis of major Epimedium species that have been used as traditional Chinese medicines.     

Microsatellite DNA markers for the Stable Fly,Stomoxys calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae)

Eight polymorphic microsatellite markers have been isolated from a microsatellite‐enriched DNA library from the Stable Fly, Stomoxys calcitrans. These loci exhibited four to 15 alleles per locus and an expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.19 to 0.84 in the three populations studied from La Réunion island (Indian Ocean). They should therefore be valuable for studying genetic diversity and population structure. Cross‐species amplification of these eight loci in the closely allied species Stomoxys niger niger was successful for four of these loci, one of which was monomorphic and one of which strongly departed from Hardy–Weinberg expectations.     

Microsatellite loci in the stable fly,Stomoxys niger niger (Diptera: Muscidae) on La Réunion Island

Six polymorphic microsatellite markers have been isolated from a microsatellite‐enriched DNA library from the stable fly, Stomoxys niger niger. These loci exhibited five to 10 alleles per locus and an expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.57 to 0.81 in the studied populations from La Réunion Island (Indian Ocean). They should therefore be useful for the study of genetic diversity and population structure of S. niger. In addition, cross‐species amplification of four of these six loci in the closely allied species Stomoxys calcitrans produced interpretable results, two of which would be useful for population biology studies.     

Polymorphic microsatellites in the Reeves's pheasant developed by cross-species amplification

Cross-species microsatellite amplification is an effective way of obtaining microsatellite loci for closely related taxa in bird species. The Reeves's pheasant, Syrmaticus reevesii, is a vulnerable species endemic to China. To improve population genetics and parentage analysis studies in this species, we obtained nine polymorphic microsatellite markers, in addition to the nine markers previously isolated, from the cross-species amplification of 52 markers. The number of alleles per locus varied between two and 12 with expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.298 to 0.714 (n = 107). The success rates of simulated paternity tests using CERVUS software improved at different confidence levels after adding these markers to the previous ones.     

Isolation of polymorphic tetranucleotide microsatellite markers for the silky short‐tailed bat Carollia brevicauda

We isolated 10 polymorphic microsatellite markers for the silky short‐tailed bat, Carollia brevicauda, from genomic libraries enriched for (AAGG)_n repetitive elements. The number of alleles ranged from six to 25 per locus with the observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.29 to 0.95. These markers will be useful for analysis of questions concerning population genetic structure and models of speciation. Results of cross‐species amplification in Carollia castanea and Carollia perspicillata are also reported.     

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers in Koompassia malaccensis (Leguminosae), an important tropical timber species

This paper reports the isolation and characterization of 24 polymorphic microsatellite markers in an important tropical timber species, Koompassia malaccensis (Leguminosae). The primers were designed from a genomic library enriched for dinucleotide (CT) repeats and screened on 24 samples from a natural population. The number of alleles detected per locus ranged from two to 13 while the observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.042 to 1.000. Significant departure from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (P < 0.05) was detected in two loci. These microsatellite markers were tested across 13 timber species of the same family. The amplification success appeared to be associated with taxonomy classification at the genus but not subfamily levels.     

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in the finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides)

Eight dinucleotide microsatellite loci were isolated from the finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides). Analysis of 30 individuals showed the number of alleles ranged from four to 21 with observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.300 to 0.833, and expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.437 to 0.932. Cross‐species amplification was tested in four other cetacean species. These microsatellite markers would be valuable tools for population genetic studies of finless porpoises and other cetacean species.     

Microsatellites from Clarias batrachus and their polymorphism in seven additional catfish species

We isolated 18 novel microsatellite loci from the walking catfish (Clarias batrachus), and examined their cross‐amplification in seven additional catfish species from three families. Sixteen of the 18 microsatellites were polymorphic in the source species (allele number: 2–10/locus and expected heterozygosity: 0.30–0.87). Moreover, nine of these 18 primer pairs cross‐amplified specific and polymorphic products from the genome of at least six of the seven other catfish species tested. However, the success rate of cross‐species amplification varied from locus to locus, indicating that cross‐species amplification of microsatellites is locus‐dependent.