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Publication Date: 2025
Bmc Genomics (14712164) 26(1)
Background: Vanessa butterflies, with 22 known species with local and cosmopolitan distributions, are good model organisms to study factors that contribute to the distribution and adaptation in the animal kingdom. Here, the complete mitochondrial genome of Vanessa cardui, a cosmopolitan member of Vanessa butterflies in Nymphalidae, was sequenced, assembled, annotated, and characterized. Results: The mitogenome was a midsize circular molecule with 15,299 bps containing regular 37 elements, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and an A + T-rich control region. The genes were organized by 11 intergenic and 13 overlapping spaces. The mitogenome showed a GC content of 19 % and a GC skew of -0.191724138, which was the lowest among the other sequenced Vanessa species. Out of 13 PCGs, only 7 start with ATG, and only 9 end with a TAA stop codon. Analysis of Relative Synonymous Codon Usage (RSCU) demonstrated that out of 66 codons, including stop codons, 25 codons were overrepresented, 7 were unbiased, and 34 were underrepresented. The tRNAs with the size range of 60 bps (tRNASer(AGN)) to 74 bps (tRNATrp) all showed typical cloverleaf secondary structures except for tRNASer(AGN), in which the D-loop was not seen. A Bayesian phylogenomic analysis of V. cardui's mitogenome and 42 other butterfly mitogenomes showed a well-resolved tree with 7 major clades. Conclusions: Studying Vanessa butterflies with different distribution ranges and their mitogenomes may provide insights into genetic factors influencing species distribution and adaptation. The complete mitogenome data provided better resolution in phylogenetic reconstructions for exploring the evolutionary history of the species. © The Author(s) 2025.
Publication Date: 2024
Scientific Reports (20452322) 14(1)
The insect wing is one of the most important characteristics that allowed insects to occupy most of the habitats on the planet. Honeybee wings has been the subject of studies on the venation abnormalities. A total of 424 honeybees from 14 locations were collected and all four wings were removed and examined for 19 abnormalities on the forewings and 6 abnormalities on the hindwings. In general, supernumerary veins were the most common abnormalities seen and abnormalities no. 23, 2, 6, 1, 5, 21, 10, 13 had the highest and abnormalities no. 11, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 25 had the lowest frequencies. All of the abnormalities had similar frequencies in the right and left wings in the population. In terms of correlation between 25 abnormalities, abnormality pairs AB3–AB13, AB6–AB7, AB7–AB8, AB10–AB12, AB16–AB17 on the forewing and AB2–AB23, AB12–AB20, AB12–AB24, AB13–AB21, AB16–AB25, and AB17–AB25 between the forewing and hindwing show significant positive correlations and abnormality pairs AB4–AB5, AB7–AB15 and AB8–AB9 on the forewing show significant negative correlations with each other. In terms of the differential occurrence of abnormalities, a few locations differed significantly from other locations. This study provides some insights into the nature of these abnormalities on the honeybee wings. © The Author(s) 2024.
Publication Date: 2023
Taxonomy and Biosystematics (23222190) 14(53)pp. 113-130
The honey bee is one of the most economically important insect species due to its crucial role in the pollination of agricultural and non-agricultural plants, as well as its direct product contributions. The western honey bee, Apis mellifera, now considered a cosmopolitan species due to its widespread distribution by humans, originated in Africa, Europe, and West Asia. This study aimed to evaluate the diversity of this bee in parts of northwest Iran. Worker bees were collected from six study stations in West Azerbaijan and East Azerbaijan provinces and assessed using the geometric morphometric method. Changes in the size and shape of the forewings and hindwings were investigated using 16 homologous landmarks at the bifurcation of the wings. Regarding the size of the forewings and hindwings, the Chahar Borj population of West Azerbaijan had the largest, while the Malekan population of East Azerbaijan had the smallest wings. Significant differences were observed between all the study stations of East Azerbaijan and those of West Azerbaijan. In terms of forewing shape, significant differences were found in all pairwise comparisons except between the populations of Sahand Mountain and Kordeh Deh village. However, for the hindwing, significant differences were observed in only three pairwise comparisons. Additionally, the regression analysis revealed that, unlike the hindwing, changes in the forewing's size and shape are interdependent, with allometry also being observed. This study demonstrates that despite the geographical proximity of the study stations, significant diversity exists in the bee populations. © The Author(s).
Publication Date: 2020
Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (09651748) 127
RNA interference (RNAi) has become a widely used technique of knocking down a gene's expression in insects, but its efficacy in some species is limited by a reduced ability of the cells to take in and disperse the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) throughout the cytoplasm. While RNA transport proteins such as SID-1 and its orthologues can facilitate dsRNA uptake in some invertebrate species, dsRNA uptake in many insects examined to date appears to be facilitated by clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME). In this study, we used pharmacological inhibitors and RNAi-mediated knockdown of endocytic genes to provide evidence that CME is the primary means of dsRNA uptake in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Inhibition of clathrin-mediated endocytosis was sufficient to supress uptake of short (21 nt) interfering RNAs (siRNAs), short (23 nt) hairpin RNAs (shRNAs), and long (>200 nt) dsRNA molecules in Aedes aegypti cultured cells and larvae. In contrast, we observed that short (23 nt) “paperclip” RNAs (pcRNAs), with partially closed ends, efficiently enter cells via a clathrin-independent pathway and effectively facilitate transcript knockdown. This alternative dsRNA structure may prove useful in insects generally considered recalcitrant to RNAi and in insect populations where resistance to RNAi-insecticides may arise through changes in dsRNA uptake mechanisms. © 2020 The Authors
Publication Date: 2019
Scientific Reports (20452322) 9(1)
Here we reply to the “Refutation” of Lawrence, Casal, de Cellis, and Morata, who critique our paper presenting evidence for an organizer and compartment boundary subdividing the widely recognized posterior wing compartment of butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) and Drosophila, that we called the F-P boundary. Lawrence et al. present no data from the Lepidoptera and while the data that they present from Drosophila melanogaster mitotic clones are intriguing and may be informative with respect to the timing of the activity of the A-P and F-P organizers, considerable ambiguity remains regarding how their data should be interpreted with respect to the proposed wing compartment boundaries. Thus, contrary to their claims, Lawrence et al. have failed to falsify the F-P boundary hypothesis. Additional studies employing mitotic clones labeled with easily detectable markers that do not affect cytoskeletal organization or rates of cell division such as GFP and RFP clones produced by G-Trace or Twin Spot Generator (TSG) may further clarify the number of compartment boundaries in Drosophila wings. At the same time, because Drosophila wings are diminutive and highly modified compared to other insects, we also urge great caution in making generalizations about insect wing development based exclusively on studies in Drosophila. Replying to: Lawrence, P.A., Casal, J., de Celis, J., Morata, G. A refutation to ‘A new A-P compartment boundary and organizer in holometabolous insect wings’. Sci. Rep. 9 (2019), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-42668-y. © 2019, The Author(s).
Publication Date: 2017
Scientific Reports (20452322) 7(1)
Decades of research on the highly modified wings of Drosophila melanogaster has suggested that insect wings are divided into two Anterior-Posterior (A-P) compartments separated by an axis of symmetry. This axis of symmetry is created by a developmental organizer that establishes symmetrical patterns of gene expression that in turn pattern the A-P axis of the wing. Butterflies possess more typical insect wings and butterfly wing colour patterns provide many landmarks for studies of wing structure and development. Using eyespot colour pattern variation in Vanessa butterflies, here we show an additional A-P axis of symmetry running between wing sectors 3 and 4. Boundaries of Drosophila mitotic clones suggest the existence of a previously undetected Far-Posterior (F-P) compartment boundary that coincides with this additional A-P axis. A similar compartment boundary is evident in butterfly mosaic gynandromorphs. We suggest that this additional compartment boundary and its associated developmental organizer create an axis of wing colour pattern symmetry and a gene expression-based combinatorial code, permitting each insect wing compartment to acquire a unique identity and allowing for the individuation of butterfly eyespots. © 2017 The Author(s).
Publication Date: 2015
Evolution and Development (1525142X) 17(1)pp. 63-81
A phylogenetic approach was used to study color pattern evolution in Vanessa butterflies. Twenty-four color pattern elements from the Nymphalid ground plan were identified on the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the fore- and hind wings. Eyespot characters were excluded and will be examined elsewhere. The evolution of each character was traced over a Bayesian phylogeny of Vanessa reconstructed from 7750 DNA base pairs from 10 genes. Generally, the correspondence between character states on the same surface of the two wings is stronger on the ventral side compared to the dorsal side. The evolution of character states on both sides of a wing correspond with each other in most extant species, but the correspondence between dorsal and ventral character states is much stronger in the forewing than in the hindwing. The dorsal hindwing of many species of Vanessa is covered with an extended Basal Symmetry System and the Discalis I pattern element is highly variable between species, making this wing surface dissimilar to the other wing surfaces. The Basal Symmetry System and Discalis I may contribute to behavioral thermoregulation in Vanessa. Overall, interspecific directional character state evolution of non-eyespot color patterns is relatively rare in Vanessa, with a majority of color pattern elements showing non-variable, non-directional, or ambiguous character state evolution. The ease with which the development of color patterns can be modified, including character state reversals, has likely made important contributions to the production of color pattern diversity in Vanessa and other butterfly groups. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Publication Date: 2015
Journal of Evolutionary Biology (1010061X) 28(11)pp. 2009-2026
Ocelli are serially repeated colour patterns on the wings of many butterflies. Eyespots are elaborate ocelli that function in predator avoidance and deterrence as well as in mate choice. A phylogenetic approach was used to study ocelli and eyespot evolution in Vanessa butterflies, a genus exhibiting diverse phenotypes among these serial homologs. Forty-four morphological characters based on eyespot number, arrangement, shape and the number of elements in each eyespot were defined and scored. Ocelli from eight wing cells on the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the forewing and hindwing were evaluated. The evolution of these characters was traced over a phylogeny of Vanessa based on 7750 DNA base pairs from 10 genes. Our reconstruction predicts that the ancestral Vanessa had 5 serially arranged ocelli on all four wing surfaces. The ancestral state on the dorsal forewing and ventral hindwing was ocelli arranged in two heterogeneous groups. On the dorsal hindwing, the ancestral state was either homogenous or ocelli arranged in two heterogeneous groups. On the ventral forewing, we determined that the ancestral state was organized into three heterogeneous groups. In Vanessa, almost all ocelli are individuated and capable of independent evolution relative to other colour patterns except for the ocelli in cells -1 and 0 on the dorsal and ventral forewings, which appear to be constrained to evolve in parallel. The genus Vanessa is a good model system for the study of serial homology and the interaction of selective forces with developmental architecture to produce diversity in butterfly colour patterns. © 2015 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.
Publication Date: 2010
Zoology in the Middle East (09397140) 50(1)pp. 95-100
Based on our data and the published literature, Euodynerus dantici dantici (Rossi, 1790), Euodynerus disconotatus sulfuripes (Morawitz, 1885), Euodynerus fastidiosus (de Saussure, 1853), Rhynchium acromum Giordani Soika, 1952, Tachyancistrocerus komarowi komarowi (Morawitz, 1885), and Polistes nimpha irakensis (Gusenleitner, 1976) are new records for the fauna of vespid wasps of Iran. New localities were found for some species and subspecies previously known in Iran. © 2010 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Abbasi, R. ,
Mashhadikhan, M. ,
Abbasi, M. ,
Kiabi, B. Publication Date: 2009
New Zealand Journal of Zoology (03014223) 36(1)pp. 41-46
We analysed morphological variation among 17 forewing characters within five populations of the paper wasp, Polistes dominulus, in Iran. The raw planar coordinate data were aligned using geometric and mathematical calculations in Kendall's shape space. After transfer of the data to a linear Euclidean space, i.e., tangent space, multi‐variate analysis of 135 images of forewings were made using their geometric morphometric characters (30 in the forewings). We observed a direct correlation between morphological characters and the geographically easiest travel distance along river valleys and mountain ranges. © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2009.
Publication Date: 2009
Zoology in the Middle East (09397140) 47(1)pp. 83-92
The variation between the forewings of males and females of three species in the genus Polistes (Hymenoptera) was studied with the help of geometric morphometrics, to determine the extent of sexual dimporphism. Mantel statistics revealed a weak correlation between male and female data sets; however, Goodall’s F-test and canonical variates analyses (using the Integrated Morphometric Package) indicated that there are indeed significant differences between the two sexes. Although visual analysis of the relative warp analysis plots of the two sexes and also CVA analysis plot indicated correlations between sexes of the same species, differences in the position of the clusters (or species) on the plots suggests that sexual dimorphism in wings is present. Results from the thin-plate spline analysis of the mean shape of the male and female data sets revealed which landmarks are responsible for the differences. © 2009 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Abbasi, R. ,
Mashhadikhan, M. ,
Abbasi, M. ,
Kiabi, B. Publication Date: 2008
Chinese Journal of Ecology (10004890) 27(5)pp. 797-802
Vespidae is one of the major families of Hymenoptera with more than 115000 described species. In the present paper, Simpson and Shannon-Wiener diversity indices, Simpson, Camargo, Smith and Wilson, and modified Nee evenness indices, and richness index based on rarefaction method were adopted to study the biodiversity of vespid wasps in spatial and temporal dimensions in northern Zanjan Province of Tran. In spatial dimension, Zanjan and Gilvan showed the highest and the lowest species diversity, evenness, and richness, respectively; while in temporal dimension, 16 July - 6 August showed the highest species diversity and richness, and 18 May - 27 May and 23 August - 2 September showed the highest and the lowest species evenness, respectively. Significant differences in species abundance between localities of study area were observed by Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test.
Publication Date: 2006
Zoology in the Middle East (09397140) 39(1)pp. 117-119
University of Isfahan
Address: Isfahan, Azadi Square, University of Isfahan
