Genetic affinities among subspecies of a widespread Australian lycaenid butterfly, Ogyris amaryllis (Hewitson)

2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 429 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Schmidt ◽  
J. M. Hughes

Genetic relationships among nominal subspecies of the lycaenid butterfly Ogyris amaryllis were investigated in eastern Australia. High levels of variation and population differentiation observed for allozyme markers were not consistent with subspecies boundaries. Partitioning of allozyme variation was explained better by arranging populations according to their larval host plant. Mitochondrial sequence data recovered a polyphyletic inland subspecies, with several peripheral subspecies showing reduced variation within this topology. Non-parametric topology tests rejected monophyly of the nominal subspecies and suggested that allopatric divergence is unlikely to account for the evolution of this complex. Genetic data, combined with information on distribution and ecology, are more consistent with a pattern of peripheral isolation associated with host-plant specialisation of coastal populations.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
MEIKE LIU ◽  
MIN HUANG ◽  
ANDREW RICHARD CLINE ◽  
EMILIANO MANCINI ◽  
ANDREA SCARAMUZZI ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Meligethes are pollen-beetles associated with flowers of Rosaceae as larvae. This genus, in its present-day concept, consists of 63 known species in two subgenera, Meligethes and Odonthogethes, predominantly occurring in the eastern Palaearctic. We analyzed 61 morphological and ecological characters (128 states) of all species, as well as of 7 outgroup species from 7 Meligethinae genera (including the believed sister-genus Brassicogethes), to investigate their phylogeny. A parallel molecular analysis was carried out on 9 Meligethes, 9 Odonthogethes, 3 Brassicogethes and 2 Meligethinus species, based on DNA sequence data from mitochondrial (COI, 16S) and nuclear (CAD) genes, to obtain additional phylogenetic information on the group. Results: Morphological phylogenetic reconstructions supported the monophyly of the genus, and clades corresponding to purported subgenera Meligethes and Odonthogethes. Main species-groups were mostly recovered intact, however some unresolved polytomies remained. Molecular data suggested a different scenario, placing members of Brassicogethes (including 42 mostly W Palearctic species associated with Brassicaceae) as sister to Odonthogethes, with this clade being sister to Meligethes s.str. This alternative phylogenetic assessment suggests that the monophyletic clades Meligethes s.str., Odonthogethes and Brassicogethes should be regarded alternatively as three subgenera of a monophyletic Meligethes, or three genera in a monophyletic genus-complex, with mutually monophyletic Brassicogethes and Odonthogethes. Molecular analyses estimated the origin of this lineage at ca. 14-15 Mya from a common stem including Meligethinus. Conclusions: We hypothesize in the Middle Miocene (likely in Langhian Age), the first Meligethes specialized on Rosaceae, on which they subsequently radiated during Late Miocene and Plio-Pleistocene. This radiation was enforced by geographic isolation in E Asiatic mountain systems, and by larval host-plant specialization. Combined evidence from morphology, ancestral state parsimony reconstruction of host-plant associations, and molecular evidence, suggested that for Meligethes s.str., Rosoideae (Rosa spp.) represented the ancestral hosts, followed by an independent shift of ancestral Odonthogethes (ca. 9-15 Mya) on Rubus (Rosoideae) and members of Rosaceae Spiraeoideae. Other ancestral Odonthogethes probably shifted again on the unrelated plant family Brassicaceae (maybe 8-14 Mya in S China), allowing a rapid westward radiation of the Brassicogethes clade.


2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-30
Author(s):  
Toni Koren ◽  
Matea Martinović

The caterpillars of the Southern Swallowtail, Papilio alexanor have been recorded in the vicinity of Trebinje, Bosnia & Herzegovina. This is the first recent observation of this species in the country and the third observation so far. Opopanax chironium is confirmed as the larval host plant in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was expected due to the recent observations from Croatia. Its status and distribution in the country are still not clear, and further surveys are recommended in order to reconfirm the historical records as well as to assess its current conservation status. Due to the limited extent of its occurrence, we propose to include it in the Red list of fauna of Bosnia & Herzegovina as Vulnerable (VU).


Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4821 (3) ◽  
pp. 487-510
Author(s):  
JINGHUAI ZHANG ◽  
PAT HUTCHINGS ◽  
INGO BURGHARDT ◽  
ELENA KUPRIYANOVA

In May–June 2017 an expedition on board RV ‘Investigator’ sampled benthic communities along the lower slope and abyss of eastern Australia from off Tasmania to the Coral Sea. Over 200 sabellariid specimens of the genera Phalacrostemma and Gesaia were collected during the voyage and deposited in the Australian Museum. Here we describe two new species Gesaia csiro n. sp. (4414–4436 m) and Phalacrostemma timoharai n. sp. (1013–1093 m). We did not formally describe another species of Phalacrostemma due to poor condition of the single specimen. Gesaia csiro n. sp. is the first record of the genus from Australian waters (only a planktonic larva attributed to the genus has previously been recorded), and it can be distinguished from other congeners by the smooth surface of inner paleae, distal thecae of outer paleae with long, irregular and expanded distal fringe and circled distal margin. Phalacrostemma timoharai n. sp. differs from congeners by the following combination of characters: presence of the buccal flap, absence of tentacular filament, 18–22 pairs of outer paleae, two pairs of neuropodial cirri on first thoracic segment, and only one pair of lateral lobes on second thoracic segment. Morphological descriptions are accompanied by mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and ribosomal (16S, 18S and 28S) sequence data. A key to all Australian species of sabellariids is given.


2006 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Moreau ◽  
B. Benrey ◽  
D. Thiéry

AbstractFor insect herbivores, the quality of the larval host plant is a key determinant of fitness. Therefore, insect populations are supposed to be positively correlated with the nutritional quality of their host plant. This study aimed to determine if and how different varieties of grapes (including the wild grape Lambrusque) affect both larval and adult performance of the polyphagous European grapevine moth Lobesia botrana (Denis & Schiffermüller). Significant differences were found in larval development time, but not in pupal mass, adult emergence rate, or sex ratio. Although the fecundity of females is not different among varieties, females fed on some varieties produced eggs of different sizes which are correlated to their fertility. Thus, females adapt resource allocation to eggs depending on their diet as larvae. Using a fitness index, the average reproductive output was found to be highest for females reared on cv. Chardonnay. Females reared on wild grape produced a fitness index identical to the cultivated grapes. However, Lambrusque and Gewurztraminer separate themselves from the cultivated varieties according to our discriminant analyses. It is emphasized, through this study, that cultivars fed on by larvae should be considered in the population dynamics of L. botrana and that egg number is insufficient to determine host plant quality.


2000 ◽  
Vol 161 (3) ◽  
pp. 413-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun‐Woo Lee ◽  
Myong Gi Chung ◽  
Youngbae Suh ◽  
Chong‐Wook Park

2003 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy D. Holloway ◽  
Scott E. Miller

The biosystematic position of the Parallelia generic complex is reviewed and a revised generic classification of its component taxa is presented. Bastilla Swinhoe (= Xiana Nye, syn. nov., Naxia Guenée, syn. nov.) is identified as the most appropriate genus for a large number of these taxa, including the joviana-group, which is reviewed in detail, with description of two new species, B. nielseni, sp. nov. and B. binatang, sp. nov. Parallelia prouti Hulstaert, syn. nov. and P. cuneifascia Hulstaert, syn. nov. are recognised as junior synonyms of Bastilla vitiensis Butler and two newly described Tahitian taxa are transferred into the joviana-group. Larval host records are examined in relation to this new generic system and significant preference for the Euphorbiaceae is noted for several groups: Bastilla, Buzara Walker (= Caranilla Moore, syn. nov., another segregate from Parallelia) and an Australian group within Grammodes Guenée.


2004 ◽  
Vol 50 (11) ◽  
pp. 985-988 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Helena Pelegrinelli Fungaro ◽  
Marciane Magnani ◽  
Laurival Antônio Vilas-Boas ◽  
Patrícia Cristina Vissotto ◽  
Márcia Cristina Furlaneto ◽  
...  

Ochratoxin A (OA) is a mycotoxin that has been found in coffee beans and coffee beverages. Its toxicological profile includes carcinogenicity, nephrotoxicity, and immunotoxicity. Aspergillus ochraceus is the major species responsible for OA production in Brazilian coffee beans. The genetic relationships among 25 A. ochraceus strains collected from Brazilian coffee-bean samples were determined based on RAPD and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence data. The isolates were resolved into 2 distinct groups, one with 4 strains (group A) and the other with 21 strains (group B). Specific nucleotide variations characterizing group A and B were found for both ITS1 and ITS2 regions. Group B is a new group proposed here to accommodate the majority of the Brazilian isolates. Each group was found to contain both toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains, indicating that there is no association between molecular genotypes and the ability to produce OA.Key words: Aspergillus ochraceus, ochratoxin A, ITS region (ITS1–5.8S–ITS2), RAPD.


2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason W Sahl ◽  
Greg Caporaso ◽  
David A Rasko ◽  
Paul S Keim

Background. As whole genome sequence data from bacterial isolates becomes cheaper to generate, computational methods are needed to correlate sequence data with biological observations. Here we present the large-scale BLAST score ratio (LS-BSR) pipeline, which rapidly compares the genetic content of hundreds to thousands of bacterial genomes, and returns a matrix that describes the relatedness of all coding sequences (CDSs) in all genomes surveyed. This matrix can be easily parsed in order to identify genetic relationships between bacterial genomes. Although pipelines have been published that group peptides by sequence similarity, no other software performs the large-scale, flexible, full-genome comparative analyses carried out by LS-BSR. Results. To demonstrate the utility of the method, the LS-BSR pipeline was tested on 96 Escherichia coli and Shigella genomes; the pipeline ran in 163 minutes using 16 processors, which is a greater than 7-fold speedup compared to using a single processor. The BSR values for each CDS, which indicate a relative level of relatedness, were then mapped to each genome on an independent core genome single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) based phylogeny. Comparisons were then used to identify clade specific CDS markers and validate the LS-BSR pipeline based on molecular markers that delineate between classical E. coli pathogenic variant (pathovar) designations. Scalability tests demonstrated that the LS-BSR pipeline can process 1,000 E. coli genomes in ~60h using 16 processors. Conclusions. LS-BSR is an open-source, parallel implementation of the BSR algorithm, enabling rapid comparison of the genetic content of large numbers of genomes. The results of the pipeline can be used to identify specific markers between user-defined phylogenetic groups, and to identify the loss and/or acquisition of genetic information between bacterial isolates. Taxa-specific genetic markers can then be translated into clinical diagnostics, or can be used to identify broadly conserved putative therapeutic candidates.


2016 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.H. Baker ◽  
C.R. Tann

AbstractThe cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, is a major pest of many agricultural crops in several countries, including Australia. Transgenic cotton, expressing a single Bt toxin, was first used in the 1990s to control H. armigera and other lepidopteran pests. Landscape scale or greater pest suppression has been reported in some countries using this technology. However, a long-term, broad-scale pheromone trapping program for H. armigera in a mixed cropping region in eastern Australia caught more moths during the deployment of single Bt toxin cotton (Ingard®) (1996–2004) than in previous years. This response can be attributed, at least in part, to (1) a precautionary cap (30% of total cotton grown, by area) being applied to Ingard® to restrict the development of Bt resistance in the pest, and (2) during the Ingard® era, cotton production greatly increased (as did that of another host plant, sorghum) and H. armigera (in particular the 3rd and older generations) responded in concert with this increase in host plant availability. However, with the replacement of Ingard® with Bollgard II® cotton (containing two different Bt toxins) in 2005, and recovery of the cotton industry from prevailing drought, H. armigera failed to track increased host-plant supply and moth numbers decreased. Greater toxicity of the two gene product, introduction of no cap on Bt cotton proportion, and an increase in natural enemy abundance are suggested as the most likely mechanisms responsible for the suppression observed.


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