The complete mitochondrial genome of the wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis) and phylogenetic analyses within Arctiinae

We report the assembly and annotation of the complete mitochondrial genome of the warningly-coloured wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis) and investigate its phylogenetic position within Arctiinae. The A.plantaginis mitogenome is 15,479 bp long with 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and an A + T-rich region (D-loop). The phylogenetic analyses based on 13 protein-coding genes showed A.plantaginis clustering within a clade of species with white wings and yellow or red bodies. This result can be useful in understanding the evolution of coloration in Arctiid moths.Peer reviewe

Linking Anomalous Behaviour with Stellar Properties: An Unsupervised Exploration of TESS Light Curves

With the upcoming plethora of astronomical time-domain datasets and surveys, anomaly detection as a way to discover new types of variable stars and transients has inspired a new wave of research. Yet, the fundamental definition of what constitutes an anomaly and how this depends on the overall properties of the population of light curves studied remains a discussed issue. Building on a previous study focused on Kepler light curves, we present an analysis that uses the Unsupervised Random Forest to search for anomalies in TESS light curves. We provide a catalogue of anomalous light curves, classify them according to their variability characteristics and associate their anomalous nature to any particular evolutionary stage or astrophysical configuration. For anomalies belonging to known classes (e.g. eclipsing binaries), we have investigated which physical parameters drive the anomaly score. We find a combination of unclassified anomalies and objects of a known class with outlying physical configurations, such as rapid pulsators, deep eclipsing binaries of long periods, and irregular light curves due to obscuration in YSOs. Remarkably, we find that the set of anomalous types differ between the Kepler and TESS datasets, indicating that the overall properties of the parent population are an important driver of anomalous behaviour.Comment: 23 pages, 26 figures. Submitted to MNRA

The genetic landscape of the Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) after 30 years of big-game hunting in southern Spain

© 2015 The Wildlife Society. The Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) suffered a striking collapse of its populations during the first half of the 20th century due to excessive hunting. In Andalusia, southern Spain, re-colonization took place from a few relict populations through natural dispersal, and through artificial reintroductions for big-game hunting. How the population decline influenced genetic diversity, and its current distribution after the re-colonization and intensive hunting practices are unclear. We addressed these questions by analyzing nuclear microsatellite variability from 58 red deer populations distributed throughout Andalusia. Our results showed a relatively high genetic variability spatially structured into 5 clusters, corresponding to the locations of relict populations. This indicates that the red deer's current genetic background has presumably retained much of the genetic variation present in those relict populations. We also found that a substantial portion (32%) of the populations displays some degree of inbreeding. We suggest that new herds should be established using individuals from the different genetic clusters, and a careful monitoring of the breeder's genetic background to prevent further inbreeding and inadvertent hybridization. Failure to do so could lead to loss of genetic diversity and the dilution of the genetic identity of the Iberian red deer.Peer Reviewe

Genetic colour variation visible for predators and conspecifics is concealed from humans in a polymorphic moth

The definition of colour polymorphism is intuitive: genetic variants express discretely coloured phenotypes. This classification is, however, elusive as humans form subjective categories or ignore differences that cannot be seen by human eyes. We demonstrate an example of a 'cryptic morph' in a polymorphic wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis), a phenomenon that may be common among well-studied species. We used pedigree data from nearly 20,000 individuals to infer the inheritance of hindwing colouration. The evidence supports a single Mendelian locus with two alleles in males: WW and Wy produce the white and yy the yellow hindwing colour. The inheritance could not be resolved in females as their hindwing colour varies continuously with no clear link with male genotypes. Next, we investigated if the male genotype can be predicted from their phenotype by machine learning algorithms and by human observers. Linear discriminant analysis grouped male genotypes with 97% accuracy, whereas humans could only group the yy genotype. Using vision modelling, we also tested whether the genotypes have differential discriminability to humans, moth conspecifics and their bird predators. The human perception was poor separating the genotypes, but avian and moth vision models with ultraviolet sensitivity could separate white WW and Wy males. We emphasize the importance of objective methodology when studying colour polymorphism. Our findings indicate that by-eye categorization methods may be problematic, because humans fail to see differences that can be visible for relevant receivers. Ultimately, receivers equipped with different perception than ours may impose selection to morphs hidden from human sight.Peer reviewe

Host's genetic background determines the outcome of reciprocal faecal transplantation on life-history traits and microbiome composition

Background: Microbes play a role in their host's fundamental ecological, chemical, and physiological processes. Host life-history traits from defence to growth are therefore determined not only by the abiotic environment and genotype but also by microbiota composition. However, the relative importance and interactive effects of these factors may vary between organisms. Such connections remain particularly elusive in Lepidoptera, which have been argued to lack a permanent microbiome and have microbiota primarily determined by their diet and environment. We tested the microbiome specificity and its influence on life-history traits of two colour genotypes of the wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis) that differ in several traits, including growth. All individuals were grown in the laboratory for several generations with standardized conditions. We analyzed the bacterial community of the genotypes before and after a reciprocal frass (i.e., larval faeces) transplantation and followed growth rate, pupal mass, and the production of defensive secretion. Results: After transplantation, the fast-growing genotype grew significantly slower compared to the controls, but the slow-growing genotype did not change its growth rate. The frass transplant also increased the volume of defensive secretions in the fast-growing genotype but did not affect pupal mass. Overall, the fast-growing genotype appeared more susceptible to the transplantation than the slow-growing genotype. Microbiome differences between the genotypes strongly suggest genotype-based selective filtering of bacteria from the diet and environment. A novel cluster of insect-associated Erysipelotrichaceae was exclusive to the fast-growing genotype, and specific Enterococcaceae were characteristic to the slow-growing genotype. These Enterococcaceae became more prevalent in the fast-growing genotype after the transplant, which suggests that a slower growth rate is potentially related to their presence. Conclusions: We show that reciprocal frass transplantation can reverse some genotype-specific life-history traits in a lepidopteran host. The results indicate that genotype-specific selective filtering can fine-tune the bacterial community at specific life stages and tissues like the larval frass, even against a background of a highly variable community with stochastic assembly. Altogether, our findings suggest that the host's genotype can influence its susceptibility to being colonized by microbiota, impacting key life-history traits.Peer reviewe

Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers for peacock wrasse (Symphodus tinca)

Eight polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized for the peacock wrasse (Symphodus tinca), a labrid fish inhabiting the Mediterranean and Black seas. Characterization of 35 individuals from the western Mediterranean indicated a relatively high allelic diversity (mean = 12.4, range 9-17), and observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.65 to 0.91. We found no evidence of linkage disequilibrium between pairs of loci. Two loci showed significant departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. These polymorphic markers can be useful in most basic population genetic applications. © 2006 The Authors.Peer Reviewe

Evaluating responses to temperature during pre-metamorphosis and carry-over effects at post-metamorphosis in the wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis)

Insect metamorphosis is one of the most recognized processes delimiting transitions between phenotypes. It has been traditionally postulated as an adaptive process decoupling traits between life stages, allowing evolutionary independence of pre- and post-metamorphic phenotypes. However, the degree of autonomy between these life stages varies depending on the species and has not been studied in detail over multiple traits simultaneously. Here, we reared full-sib larvae of the warningly coloured wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis) in different temperatures and examined their responses for phenotypic (melanization change, number of moults), gene expression (RNA-seq and qPCR of candidate genes for melanization and flight performance) and life-histories traits (pupal weight, and larval and pupal ages). In the emerging adults, we examined their phenotypes (melanization and size) and compared them at three condition proxies: heat absorption (ability to engage flight), flight metabolism (ability to sustain flight) and overall flight performance. We found that some larval responses, as evidenced by gene expression and change in melanization, did not have an effect on the adult (i.e. size and wing melanization), whereas other adult traits such as heat absorption, body melanization and flight performance were found to be impacted by rearing temperature. Adults reared at high temperature showed higher resting metabolic rate, lower body melanization, faster heating rate, lower body temperature at take-off and inferior flight performance than cold-reared adults. Thus our results did not unambiguously support the environment-matching hypothesis. Our results illustrate the importance of assessing multiple traits across life stages as these may only be partly decoupled by metamorphosis. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolution of complete metamorphosis'.Peer reviewe

Variations of the ISM Compactness Across the Main Sequence of Star-Forming Galaxies: Observations and Simulations

(abridged) The majority of star-forming galaxies follow a simple empirical correlation in the star formation rate (SFR) versus stellar mass ($M_*$) plane, usually referred to as the star formation Main Sequence (MS). Here we combine a set of hydro-dynamical simulations of interacting galactic disks with state-of-the-art radiative transfer codes to analyze how the evolution of mergers is reflected upon the properties of the MS. We present \textsc{Chiburst}, a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) code that fits the multi-wavelength, broad-band photometry of galaxies and derives stellar masses, star formation rates, and geometrical properties of the dust distribution. We apply this tool to the SEDs of simulated mergers and compare the derived results with the reference output from the simulations. Our results indicate that changes in the SEDs of mergers as they approach coalescence and depart from the MS are related to an evolution of dust geometry in scales larger than a few hundred parsecs. This is reflected in a correlation between the specific star formation rate (sSFR), and the compactness parameter $\mathcal{C}$, that parametrizes this geometry and hence the evolution of dust temperature ($T_{\rm{dust}}$) with time. As mergers approach coalescence, they depart from the MS and increase their compactness, which implies that moderate outliers of the MS are consistent with late-type mergers. By further applying our method to real observations of Luminous Infrared Galaxies (LIRGs), we show that the merger scenario is unable to explain these extreme outliers of the MS. Only by significantly increasing the gas fraction in the simulations are we able to reproduce the SEDs of LIRGs.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures, accepted in Ap

Using deep learning and meteorological parameters to forecast the photovoltaic generators intra-hour output power interval for smart grid control

In recent years, the photovoltaic generation installed capacity has been steadily growing thanks to its inexhaustible and non-polluting characteristics. However, solar generators are strongly dependent on intermittent weather parameters, increasing power systems' uncertainty level. Forecasting models have arisen as a feasible solution to decreasing photovoltaic generators' uncertainty level, as they can produce accurate predictions. Traditionally, the vast majority of research studies have focused on the develop- ment of accurate prediction point forecasters. However, in recent years some researchers have suggested the concept of prediction interval forecasting, where not only an accurate prediction point but also the confidence level of a given prediction are computed to provide further information. This paper develops a new model for predicting photovoltaic generators' output power confidence interval 10 min ahead, based on deep learning, mathematical probability density functions and meteorological parameters. The model's accuracy has been validated with a real data series collected from Spanish meteorological sta- tions. In addition, two error metrics, prediction interval coverage percentage and Skill score, are computed at a 95% confidence level to examine the model's accuracy. The prediction interval coverage percentage values are greater than the chosen confidence level, which means, as stated in the literature, the proposed model is well-founded

The AGN Luminosity Fraction in Merging Galaxies

Galaxy mergers are key events in galaxy evolution, often causing massive starbursts and fueling active galactic nuclei (AGN). In these highly dynamic systems, it is not yet precisely known how much starbursts and AGN respectively contribute to the total luminosity, at what interaction stages they occur, and how long they persist. Here we estimate the fraction of the bolometric infrared (IR) luminosity that can be attributed to AGN by measuring and modeling the full ultraviolet to far-infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs) in up to 33 broad bands for 24 merging galaxies with the Code for Investigating Galaxy Emission. In addition to a sample of 12 confirmed AGN in late-stage mergers, found in the $Infrared$ $Array$ $Satellite$ Revised Bright Galaxy Sample or Faint Source Catalog, our sample includes a comparison sample of 12 galaxy mergers from the $Spitzer$ Interacting Galaxies Survey, mostly early-stage. We perform identical SED modeling of simulated mergers to validate our methods, and we supplement the SED data with mid-IR spectra of diagnostic lines obtained with $Spitzer$ InfraRed Spectrograph. The estimated AGN contributions to the IR luminosities vary from system to system from 0% up to 91% but are significantly greater in the later-stage, more luminous mergers, consistent with what is known about galaxy evolution and AGN triggering.Comment: 26 pages, 10 figure