Conservation genetics of the protected moth, Gortyna borelii (Noctuidae) in France

International audienceAccurate species delimitations are essential for establishing efficient conservation programs.Gortyna borelii (Noctuidae) is a threatened and protected moth, with a widespread, but localisedin a range of meadows, forest clearings and edges in Europe. Larvae are internal feeders on alimited number of Peucedanum species, that are heavily impacted by intensive mowing regimes.Preliminary DNA barcode data from a few individuals showed a deep mitochondrial split in Francesuggesting a possible cryptic species complex. We DNA barcoded an additional 43 individualssampled across France that confirmed the existence of two BINs, with a genetic divergenceof 2.79%, one in Southeastern France (Maritime Alps) and Corsica and another in Western,central France and Eastern Pyrenees. RADseq data (9961 SNPs) from 34 individuals confirmedthe existence of two clades but also revealed a substructure in five populations in France. Theestimation of population genetic indices such as genetic diversity and inbreeding coefficientenabled us to assess the genetic status of these populations. This new insight into the geneticcomposition of G. borelii must be integrated into the conservation strategies to save this flagshipspecies from extinction

Wing transparency in butterflies and moths: structural diversity, optical properties, and ecological relevance

International audienceIn water, transparency seems an ideal concealment strategy, as testified by the variety of transparent aquatic organisms. By contrast, transparency is nearly absent on land, with the exception of insect wings, and knowledge is scarce about its functions and evolution, with fragmentary studies and no comparative perspective. Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) represent an outstanding group to investigate transparency on land, as species typically harbor opaque wings covered with colored scales, a key multifunctional innovation. Yet, many Lepidoptera species have evolved partially or fully transparent wings. At the interface between physics and biology, the present study investigates wing transparency in 123 Lepidoptera species (from 31 families) for its structural basis, optical properties, and biological relevance in relation to visual detection (concealment), thermoregulation, and protection against UV. Our results suggest that transparency has likely evolved multiple times independently. Efficiency at transmitting light is largely determined by clearwing microstructure (scale shape, insertion, coloration, dimensions, and density) and macrostructure (clearwing area, species size, or wing area). Microstructural traits, scale density and dimensions, are tightly linked in their evolution, with different constraints according to scale shape, insertion, and coloration. Transparency appears highly relevant for concealment, with size-dependent variations. Links between transparency and latitude are consistent with an ecological relevance of transparency in thermoregulation, and not so for protection against UV radiation. Altogether, our results shed new light on the physical and ecological processes driving the evolution of transparency on land and underline that transparency is a more complex coloration strategy than previously thought

Studying hyperdiverse lepidopteran communities in French Guiana with DNA barcoding

International audienc