Butterfly-parasitoid-hostplant interactions in Western Palaearctic Hesperiidae: a DNA barcoding reference library

The study of ecological interactions between plants, phytophagous insects and their natural enemies is an essential but challenging component for understanding ecosystem dynamics. Molecular methods such as DNA barcoding can help elucidate these interactions. In this study, we employed DNA barcoding to establish hostplant and parasitoid interactions with hesperiid butterflies, using a complete reference library for Hesperiidae of continental Europe and north-western Africa (53 species, 100% of those recorded) based on 2934 sequences from 38 countries. A total of 233 hostplant and parasitoid interactions are presented, some recovered by DNA barcoding larval remains or parasitoid cocoons. Combining DNA barcode results with other lines of evidence allowed 94% species-level identification for Hesperiidae, but success was lower for parasitoids, in part due to unresolved taxonomy. Potential cases of cryptic diversity, both in Hesperiidae and Microgastrinae, are discussed. We briefly analyse the resulting interaction networks. Future DNA barcoding initiatives in this region should focus attention on north-western Africa and on parasitoids, because in these cases barcode reference libraries and taxonomy are less well developed.Support for this research was provided by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) with a JAE-Intro fellowship for the introduction to research to ETD (reference numbers JAEINT_20_00248 and JAEINT20_EX_0638) and by projects PID2019-107078GB-I00/MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and 2017-SGR-991 (Generalitat de Catalunya) to RV, and PID2020-117739GA-I00/MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 to GT. We thank the Rachadaphiseksomphot Fund, Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University, for the award of a Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship to DLJQ. Further support for this research was provided by the Academy of Finland (Academy Research Fellow, decision no. 328895) to VD. PDNH acknowledges support from Genome Canada through Ontario Genomics. BV has been funded by the CERCA Programme of the Generalitat de Catalunya and by the Grant RYC-22243-2017, whose PI is Josep Sardanyés. SV was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, grant PID2020-117822GB-I00 MINEICO/AEI/ FEDER and the European Union.INTRODUCTION MATERIAL AND METHODS RESULTS DISCUSSION CONCLUSION SUPPORTING INFORMATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS DATA AVAILABILITY REFERENCES Supplementary dat

High-speed and high-resolution interrogation of FBG sensors using wavelength-to-time mapping and Gaussian filters

In this work we report a novel intensity-based technique for simultaneous high-speed and high-resolution interrogation of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. The method uses a couple of intensity Gaussian filters and the dispersion-induced wavelength-to-time mapping effect. The Bragg wavelength is retrieved by means of the amplitude comparison between the two filtered grating spectrums, which are mapped into a time-domain waveform. In this way, measurement distortions arising from residual power due to the grating sidelobes are completely avoided, and the wavelength measurement range is considerably extended with respect to the previously proposed schemes. We present the mathematical background for the interrogation of FBGs with an arbitrary bandwidth. In our proof-of-concept experiments, we achieved sensitivities of ∼20 pm with ultra-fast rates up to 264 MHz

Desarrollo de una plataforma computacional para el modelado metabólico de microorganismos

[EN] Synthetic biology focuses on the design and construction of artificial genetic systems that are capable of carrying out a specific function after being inserted into a living system. With the development of synthetic biology a new generation of bioengineers has appeared who develop complex, highly integrated genetic biological pathways. Te improvement of this scientific discipline aims to establish a computational and conceptual framework that will support the development of modular artificial biological systems based on an engineering and systematic methodology. To achieve this, it will be necessary to provide new integrated computational tools in a common environment for the analysis of metabolic phenotypes, the design of new complex genetic pathways and the visualisation of metabolic maps to the next generation of designers in synthetic biology and future biotechnologists and biological engineers. A result of this research is the Hydra platform (Hybrid Draw and Routes Analysis) that integrates various tools for the design, analysis, and visualisation of metabolic networks.[ES] La Biología Sintética (BS) se centra en el diseño y la construcción de sistemas genéticos artificiales, capaces de desarrollar una función específica después de haber sido introducidos en un sistema vivo. Con el desarrollo de la BS, se observa una nueva generación de bioingenieros que desarrollan complejos circuitos biológicos genéticos con un alto nivel de integración. La mejora de esta disciplina científica tiene por objeto establecer un marco computacional y conceptual que dé asistencia al desarrollo de sistemas biológicos artificiales modulares basándose en una metodología ingenieril y sistemática, para lo que se necesita proveer a la próxima generación de diseñadores en Biología Sintética y a los futuros biotecnólogos e ingenieros biológicos de nuevas herramientas computacionales integradas en un entorno común para el análisis de fenotipos metabólicos, el diseño de nuevos circuitos genéticos complejos y la visualización de mapas metabólicos. Como resultado de esta investigación se obtiene la plataforma Hydra (Hybrid Draw and Routes Analysis), que integra diversas herramientas para el diseño, análisis y visualización de las redes metabólicas.Los autores desean agradecer el soporte financiero recibido por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación a través de la concesión TIN2009- 12359; la Conselleria de Inmigración y Ciudadanía de la Generalitat Valenciana (concesión 3012/2009) y la Comisión Europea (Proyecto TARPOL FP7 EU KBBE 212894).Reyes, R.; Garrido, J.; Jaime, RA.; Córdova, V.; Triana, J.; Villar, L.; Castro, JC.... (2011). Desarrollo de una plataforma computacional para el modelado metabólico de microorganismos. Nereis. Revista Iberoamericana Interdisciplinar de Métodos, Modelización y Simulación. (3):25-31. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/91952S2531

A hymenopterists' guide to the hymenoptera anatomy ontology: utility, clarification, and future directions

Hymenoptera exhibit an incredible diversity of phenotypes, the result of ~240 million years of evolution and the primary subject of more than 250 years of research. Here we describe the history, development, and utility of the Hymenoptera Anatomy Ontology (HAO) and its associated applications. These resourc¬es are designed to facilitate accessible and extensible research on hymenopteran phenotypes. Outreach with the hymenopterist community is of utmost importance to the HAO project, and this paper is a direct response to questions that arose from project workshops. In a concerted attempt to surmount barriers of understanding, especially regarding the format, utility, and development of the HAO, we discuss the roles of homology, “preferred terms”, and “structural equivalency”. We also outline the use of Universal Resource Identifiers (URIs) and posit that they are a key element necessary for increasing the objectivity and repeatability of science that references hymenopteran anatomy. Pragmatically, we detail a mechanism (the “URI table”) by which authors can use URIs to link their published text to the HAO, and we describe an associated tool (the “Analyzer”) to derive these tables. These tools, and others, are available through the HAO Portal website (http://portal.hymao.org). We conclude by discussing the future of the HAO with respect to digital publication, cross-taxon ontology alignment, the advent of semantic phenotypes, and community-based curation.Katja C. Seltmann... Andrew D. Austin... John T. Jennings... et al

Taxonomy based on science is necessary for global conservation

Peer reviewe

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], >300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

Diolcogaster Ashmead

Genus <i>Diolcogaster</i> Ashmead (Figures 54, 136) <p> <b>Rearing Data:</b> The genus <i>Diolcogaster</i> Ashmead was considered by Mason (1981) to include many species grouped by Nixon (1965) under <i>Protomicroplitis</i>. The genus was recently revised for the Australasian region, including comments on its biology and host relationships (Saeed et al. 1999). Those authors expanded the <i>connexus-</i> group <i>sensu</i> Nixon into non-Australasian groups (<i>D. ippis</i> Nixon and <i>D. reales</i> Nixon), while the <i>spretusgroup sensu</i> Nixon was expanded to include <i>D. coenonymphae</i> (Watanabe) from Japan. The present understanding of the genus from India is very poor with only four species reported so far. Nearly 52 specimens were bred from three regions.</p> <p> <b>Life History Comments:</b> Only one gregarious species could be reared from an undetermined caterpillar feeding on <i>Terminalia</i> sp. (Fig. 54). Another species was collected from Malaise traps in the Andaman islands.</p>Published as part of <i>Gupta, Ankita & Fernández-Triana, José L., 2014, Diversity, host association, and cocoon variability of reared Indian Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), pp. 1-101 in Zootaxa 3800 (1)</i> on page 8, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3800.1.1, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/251585">http://zenodo.org/record/251585</a&gt

Distatrix Mason

Genus <i>Distatrix</i> Mason (Figs 55−56, 137) <p> <b>Rearing Data:</b> The genus <i>Distatrix</i> is mainly reported from pantropical regions with very few records from temperate areas. The genus is equivalent to Nixon’s <i>formosus</i> group (Mason 1981). Cocoons that are gregarious in nature mimic flower heads, while the solitary ones make single stalked cocoons (Whitfield 1997). Almost 758 specimens were bred from caterpillars collected all over India.</p> <p> <b>Life History Comments:</b> Only one species, <i>Distatrix papilionis</i> (Viereck) (Fig. 137) is recorded from India, attacking <i>Papilio demoleus</i> Linnaeus. Gregarious white cocoon masses ranging from 15-158 cocoons/leaf were observed (Figs 1 A, 55, 56). Number of cocoons/caterpillar/leaf varied with the stage of larval instar. The early instars (2nd instar) of lime butterfly, having the appearance of bird droppings, yielded 15-26 cocoons/caterpillar/ leaf. Third instar parasitism yielded 49, 58, 96 cocoons/caterpillar/leaf, respectively. From late instars 112, 131, 148, and 158 cocoons/caterpillar/leaf were collected. This shows positive correlation between the number of cocoons/caterpillar/leaf and the larval stage (and possibly with the size of the host).</p>Published as part of <i>Gupta, Ankita & Fernández-Triana, José L., 2014, Diversity, host association, and cocoon variability of reared Indian Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), pp. 1-101 in Zootaxa 3800 (1)</i> on page 8, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3800.1.1, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/251585">http://zenodo.org/record/251585</a&gt

Diversity, host association, and cocoon variability of reared Indian Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Gupta, Ankita, Fernández-Triana, José L. (2014): Diversity, host association, and cocoon variability of reared Indian Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Zootaxa 3800 (1): 1-101, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3800.1.

Neoclarkinella Rema & Narendran

Genus <i>Neoclarkinella</i> Rema & Narendran (Figure 165) <p> <b>Rearing Data:</b> The Genus <i>Neoclarkinella</i> Rema & Narendran is represented in the Old World tropics, particularly India, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines and China. Six specimens were reared from southern India.</p> <p> <b>Life History Comments:</b> <i>Neoclarkinella vitellinipes</i> (You & Zhou) (Fig. 165) was reared from an undetermined caterpillar from a forest plantation in Karnataka. Unfortunately, the identity of host species for this genus of Microgastrinae, in India and elsewhere, remains unknown.</p>Published as part of <i>Gupta, Ankita & Fernández-Triana, José L., 2014, Diversity, host association, and cocoon variability of reared Indian Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), pp. 1-101 in Zootaxa 3800 (1)</i> on page 11, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3800.1.1, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/251585">http://zenodo.org/record/251585</a&gt