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Vera EI, Monferran MD, Massaferro J, Sabater LM, Gallego OF, Perez Loinaze VS, Moyano-Paz D, Agnolín FL, Manabe M, Tsuhiji T, Novas FE. A Maastrichtian insect assemblage from Patagonia sheds light on arthropod diversity previous to the K/Pg event. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1249. [PMID: 38072954 PMCID: PMC10711029 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05596-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Insect faunas from the latest Cretaceous are poorly known worldwide. Particularly, in the Southern Hemisphere, there is a gap regarding insect assemblages in the Campanian-Maastrichtian interval. Here we present an insect assemblage from the Maastrichtian Chorrillo Formation, southern Argentina, represented by well-preserved and non-deformed, chitinous microscopic remains including head capsules, wings and scales. Identified clades include Chironomidae dipterans, Coelolepida lepidopterans, and Ephemeroptera. The assemblage taxonomically resembles those of Cenozoic age, rather than other Mesozoic assemblages, in being composed by diverse chironomids and lepidopterans. To the best of our knowledge, present discovery constitutes the first insect body fossils for the Maastrichtian in the Southern Hemisphere, thus filling the gap between well-known Early Cretaceous entomofaunas and those of Paleogene age. The presented evidence shows that modern clades of chironomids were already dominant and diversified by the end of the Cretaceous, in concert with the parallel radiation of aquatic angiosperms which became dominant in freshwater habitats. This exceptional finding encourages the active search of microscopic remains of fossil arthropods in other geological units, which could provide a unique way of enhancing our knowledge on the past diversity of the clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ezequiel I Vera
- División Paleobotánica, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia" (MACN-CONICET), Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mateo D Monferran
- Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral CONICET y Departamento de Biología, FaCENA-UNNE, Ruta Provincial N° 5, s/n, Km 2,5, 3400, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Julieta Massaferro
- Programa de Estudios Aplicados a la Conservación de la Biodiversidad CENAC/APN, Fagnano 244, 8400, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Lara M Sabater
- Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral CONICET y Departamento de Biología, FaCENA-UNNE, Ruta Provincial N° 5, s/n, Km 2,5, 3400, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Oscar F Gallego
- Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral CONICET y Departamento de Biología, FaCENA-UNNE, Ruta Provincial N° 5, s/n, Km 2,5, 3400, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Valeria S Perez Loinaze
- División Paleobotánica, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia" (MACN-CONICET), Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Damián Moyano-Paz
- Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas (CIG, CONICET-UNLP), Diagonal 113 #275, B1904DPK, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Federico L Agnolín
- Laboratorio de Anatomía Comparada y Evolución de los Vertebrados (LACEV), Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia" (MACN-CONICET), Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Fundación de Historia Natural "Félix de Azara", Departamento de Ciencias Naturales y Antropología, Universidad Maimónides, Hidalgo 775, C1405BDB, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Makoto Manabe
- Center for Collections, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba 305-0005, Tokio, Japan
| | - Takanobu Tsuhiji
- Department of Geology, National Museum of Nature and Science, 3-23-1 Hyakanin-cho, Shinjuku-lu, 1069-0073, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fernando E Novas
- Laboratorio de Anatomía Comparada y Evolución de los Vertebrados (LACEV), Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia" (MACN-CONICET), Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Finet C, Ruan Q, Bei YY, You En Chan J, Saranathan V, Yang JKW, Monteiro A. Multi-scale dissection of wing transparency in the clearwing butterfly Phanus vitreus. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20230135. [PMID: 37254701 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Optical transparency is rare in terrestrial organisms, and often originates through loss of pigmentation and reduction in scattering. The coloured wings of some butterflies and moths have repeatedly evolved transparency, offering examples of how they function optically and biologically. Because pigments are primarily localized in the scales that cover a colourless wing membrane, transparency has often evolved through the complete loss of scales or radical modification of their shape. Whereas bristle-like scales have been well documented in glasswing butterflies, other scale modifications resulting in transparency remain understudied. The butterfly Phanus vitreus achieves transparency while retaining its scales and exhibiting blue/cyan transparent zones. Here, we investigate the mechanism of wing transparency in P. vitreus by light microscopy, focused ion beam milling, microspectrophotometry and optical modelling. We show that transparency is achieved via loss of pigments and vertical orientation in normal paddle-like scales. These alterations are combined with an anti-reflective nipple array on portions of the wing membrane being more exposed to light. The blueish coloration of the P. vitreus transparent regions is due to the properties of the wing membrane, and local scale nanostructures. We show that scale retention in the transparent patches might be explained by these perpendicular scales having hydrophobic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Finet
- Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore
| | - Qifeng Ruan
- Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 487372 Singapore
- Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Key Lab of Micro-Nano Optoelectronic Information System & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Optoelectronic Materials and Intelligent Photonic Systems, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Yang Bei
- Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore
| | - John You En Chan
- Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 487372 Singapore
| | - Vinodkumar Saranathan
- Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, 138609 Singapore
- NUS Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative (NUSNNI), National University of Singapore, 117581 Singapore
| | - Joel K W Yang
- Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 487372 Singapore
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 138634 Singapore
| | - Antónia Monteiro
- Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore
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3
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Wang J, Zhang W, Engel MS, Sheng X, Shih C, Ren D. Early evolution of wing scales prior to the rise of moths and butterflies. Curr Biol 2022; 32:3808-3814.e2. [PMID: 35998638 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Although scales are a defining and conspicuous feature of moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera),1-3 their earliest evolution predates the group but is shrouded by a dearth of fossil evidence. Herein, we report two new species in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, representing lineages closely related to Lepidoptera: one represents the extinct Tarachoptera, with dense scales on the fore- and hindwings, while the other is an early lineage of caddisflies, with a hindwing covered by a single layer of angustifoliate scales. A novel phylogenetic analysis of 174 morphological characters and 73 extant and fossil representatives of Mecopterida demonstrates a monophyletic origin of scales in the common ancestor of Tarachoptera, Trichoptera, and Lepidoptera; that Tarachoptera are monophyletic but their scale morphology is plesiomorphic for the whole group; and that scales were lost early in caddisfly evolution before reappearing multiple times within the clade. Collectively, these fossils provide clarity into the origin and early evolution of scales before their diversification among the moths and butterflies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Weiting Zhang
- Institute of Paleontology, Hebei GEO University, 136 Huaiandonglu, Shijiazhuang 050031, China
| | - Michael S Engel
- Division of Entomology, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, 1501 Crestline Drive, Suite 140, Lawrence, KS 66045-4415, USA; Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA
| | - Xianyong Sheng
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Chungkun Shih
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, China; Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
| | - Dong Ren
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, China.
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4
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Abstract
Aposematic coloration is among the most diverse antipredator strategies, which can signal unpleasantness of organisms to potential predators and reduce the probability of predation. Unlike mimesis, aposematic coloration allows organisms to warn their predators away by conspicuous and recognizable colour patterns. However, aposematism has been a regular puzzle, especially as the long-term history of such traits is obscured by an insufficient fossil record. Here, we report the discovery of aposematic coloration in an orthopteran nymph from Mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (99 million years old). It is attributed to the extinct family Elcanidae and erected as a new genus identified by conspicuous dark/light-striped coloration, four apical spurs on the metatibia, a two-segmented metatarsus and unsegmented stylus. It represents the first fossil orthopteran preserved with aposematic coloration from the Mesozoic, demonstrating that orthopterans had evolved aposematism by the Mid-Cretaceous. Our findings provide novel insights into the early evolution of anti-predator strategies among orthopterans. Together with mimesis, debris-carrying camouflage and aposematism previously reported, our findings demonstrate the relative complexity of prey-predator interactions in the Mesozoic, especially in the Mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber forest. This article is part of the theme issue 'The impact of Chinese palaeontology on evolutionary research'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunpeng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Cihang Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Edmund A Jarzembowski
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
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5
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Pan Y, Yu Z, Yuan X. Ultrastructure of androconia and surrounding scales of nine species of Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera). Zookeys 2022; 1084:65-81. [PMID: 35233165 PMCID: PMC8813864 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1084.78883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ultrastructure of androconia and their surrounding scales of nine species in nine genera across four subfamilies of Hesperiidae is studied. This provides a basis for the classification and identification of some genera and species. The wing surface of the scent glands patches was cut with scissors, observed and photographed under an S-4800 scanning electron microscope (at 10.0 kV accelerated pressure). There were significant differences in the types of scent glands patches across subfamilies. The scent glands patches of Pyrginae and Dudaminae are mainly in the costal fold of the forewing, while those of Coeliadinae and Hesperiinae are mainly in the line or circular stigma on the wing surface. The length, breadth and aperture of the androconia were further measured and the data are analysed by variance and multiple comparisons. There are significant differences amongst the subfamilies, except for Dudaminae and Pyrginae. In Hesperiinae, Telicotacolon (Fabricius, 1775) and Ampittiavirgata (Leech, 1890) have no significant difference in the aperture of the androconia, but are significantly different from Thymelicusleoninus (Butler, 1878). There are significant differences in the aperture between Pyrgusalveus’s (Hübner, 1803) androconium and the second androconium of Loboclabifasciata (Bremer & Grey, 1853), but not with the first androconium of Loboclabifasciata. The morphology of androconia in the scent glands patches is very similar in Hesperiinae; all are rod-shaped and paddle-like. The scale types around the scent glands patches are different, but there are one or two similar types. To a certain extent, the aperture of the androconia reflects the genetic relationships between subfamilies and species. The differences in scale type and structure of scent glands patches can be used as a reference for the classification of subfamilies and genera in Hesperiidae.
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Piszter G, Kertész K, Sramkó G, Krízsik V, Bálint Z, Biró LP. Concordance of the spectral properties of dorsal wing scales with the phylogeographic structure of European male Polyommatus icarus butterflies. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16498. [PMID: 34389765 PMCID: PMC8363635 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95881-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The males of more than 80% of the Lycaenidae species belonging to the tribe Polyommatini exhibit structural coloration on their dorsal wing surfaces. These colors have a role in reinforcement in prezygotic reproductive isolation. The species-specific colors are produced by the cellular self-assembly of chitin/air nanocomposites. The spectral position of the reflectance maximum of such photonic nanoarchitectures depends on the nanoscale geometric dimensions of the elements building up the nanostructure. Previous work showed that the coloration of male Polyommatus icarus butterflies in the Western and Eastern Palearctic exhibits a characteristic spectral difference (20 nm). We investigated the coloration and the de novo developed DNA microsatellites of 80 P. icarus specimens from Europe from four sampling locations, spanning a distance of 1621 km. Remarkably good concordance was found between the spectral properties of the blue sexual signaling color (coincident within 5 nm) and the population genetic structure as revealed by 10 microsatellites for the P. icarus species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gábor Piszter
- Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, P.O. Box 49, 1525, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Krisztián Kertész
- Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, P.O. Box 49, 1525, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Sramkó
- MTA-DE "Lendület" Evolutionary Phylogenomics Research Group, 1 Egyetem Sq., 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Virág Krízsik
- Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, 13 Baross St., 1088, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Bálint
- Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, P.O. Box 49, 1525, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, 13 Baross St., 1088, Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Péter Biró
- Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, P.O. Box 49, 1525, Budapest, Hungary
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Vanthournout B, Rousaki A, Parmentier T, Janssens F, Mertens J, Vandenabeele P, D'Alba L, Shawkey M. Springtail coloration at a finer scale: mechanisms behind vibrant collembolan metallic colours. J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20210188. [PMID: 34229459 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms and evolution of metallic structural colours are of both fundamental and applied interest, yet most work in arthropods has focused on derived butterflies and beetles with distinct hues. In particular, basal hexapods-groups with many scaled, metallic representatives-are currently poorly studied and controversial, with some recent studies suggesting either that thin-film (lamina thickness) or diffraction grating (longitudinal ridges, cross-ribs) elements produce these colours in early Lepidoptera and one springtail (Collembola) species. Especially the collembolan basal scale design, consisting of a single lamina and longitudinal ridges with smooth valleys lacking cross-ribs, makes them an interesting group to explore the mechanisms of metallic coloration. Using microspectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, electron microscopy and finite-difference time-domain optical modelling, we investigated scale colour in seven springtail species that show clear metallic coloration. Reflectance spectra are largely uniform and exhibit a broadband metallic/golden coloration with peaks in the violet/blue region. Our simulations confirm the role of the longitudinal ridges, working in conjunction with thin-film effects to produce a broadband metallic coloration. Broadband coloration occurs through spatial colour mixing, which probably results from nanoscale variation in scale thickness and ridge height and distance. These results provide crucial insights into the colour production mechanisms in a basal scale design and highlight the need for further investigation of scaled, basal arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bram Vanthournout
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Anastasia Rousaki
- Raman Spectroscopy Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, S12, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thomas Parmentier
- Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Namur Institute of Complex Systems, and Institute of Life, Earth, and the Environment, Namur University, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium.,Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Frans Janssens
- Department of Biology, Antwerp University, Antwerp B-2020, Belgium
| | - Johan Mertens
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Peter Vandenabeele
- Raman Spectroscopy Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, S12, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.,Archaeometry Research Group, Department of Archaeology, Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 35, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Liliana D'Alba
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Matthew Shawkey
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium
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Osotsi MI, Zhang W, Zada I, Gu J, Liu Q, Zhang D. Butterfly wing architectures inspire sensor and energy applications. Natl Sci Rev 2021; 8:nwaa107. [PMID: 34691587 PMCID: PMC8288439 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwaa107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural biological systems are constantly developing efficient mechanisms to counter adverse effects of increasing human population and depleting energy resources. Their intelligent mechanisms are characterized by the ability to detect changes in the environment, store and evaluate information, and respond to external stimuli. Bio-inspired replication into man-made functional materials guarantees enhancement of characteristics and performance. Specifically, butterfly architectures have inspired the fabrication of sensor and energy materials by replicating their unique micro/nanostructures, light-trapping mechanisms and selective responses to external stimuli. These bio-inspired sensor and energy materials have shown improved performance in harnessing renewable energy, environmental remediation and health monitoring. Therefore, this review highlights recent progress reported on the classification of butterfly wing scale architectures and explores several bio-inspired sensor and energy applications.
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Wang L, Ma L, Zhao Q, Wang S, Wang X, Zhang C, Wang X, Liu Q. Internal nanocavity based high-resolution and stable structural colours fabricated by laser printing. Opt Express 2021; 29:7428-7434. [PMID: 33726244 DOI: 10.1364/oe.418103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Bioinspired structural colors are attracting increasing attention in photonics, display, labeling and so forth. High-resolution and stable coloration is significant but is challenging to be fabricated in a facile and low-cost way. Herein, multilayer architecture containing an internal nanocavity as the structural color unit is obtained conveniently by direct nanosecond laser printing in atmosphere condition. Arbitrary colorful patterns with submicron accuracy can be realized only by a single step. And such structural colors induced by inner structures in the interlayer are antipollutive, antioxidative and easy to clean.
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Lloyd VJ, Nadeau NJ. The evolution of structural colour in butterflies. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2021; 69:28-34. [PMID: 33540167 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2021.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Butterflies display some of the most striking examples of structural colour in nature. These colours originate from cuticular scales that cover the wing surface, which have evolved a diverse suite of optical nanostructures capable of manipulating light. In this review we explore recent advances in the evolution of structural colour in butterflies. We discuss new insights into the underlying genetics and development of the structural colours in various nanostructure types. Improvements in -omic and imaging technologies have been paramount to these new advances and have permitted an increased appreciation of their development and evolution.
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Abstract
Structural colours, nature's most pure and intense colours, originate when light is scattered via nanoscale modulations of the refractive index. Original colours in fossils illuminate the ecological interactions among extinct organisms and functional evolution of colours. Here, we report multiple examples of vivid metallic colours in diverse insects from mid-Cretaceous amber. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed a smooth outer surface and five alternating electron-dense and electron-lucent layers in the epicuticle of a fossil wasp, suggesting that multilayer reflectors, the most common biophotonic nanostructure in animals and even plants, are responsible for the exceptional preservation of colour in amber fossils. Based on theoretical modelling of the reflectance spectra, a reflective peak of wavelength of 514 nm was calculated, corresponding to the bluish-green colour observed under white light. The green to blue structural colours in fossil wasps, beetles and a fly most likely functioned as camouflage, although other functions such as thermoregulation cannot be ruled out. This discovery not only provides critical evidence of evolution of structural colours in arthropods, but also sheds light on the preservation potential of nanostructures of ancient animals through geological time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Erik Tihelka
- Department of Animal Science, Hartpury College, Hartpury GL19 3BE, UK
| | - Yanhong Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China.,School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Ziwei Yin
- Laboratory of Systematic Entomology, College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, People's Republic of China
| | - Rixin Jiang
- Laboratory of Systematic Entomology, College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, People's Republic of China
| | - Fangyuan Xia
- Lingpoge Amber Museum, Shanghai 201108, People's Republic of China
| | - Diying Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
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12
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Patzold F, Zilli A, Hundsdoerfer AK. Advantages of an easy-to-use DNA extraction method for minimal-destructive analysis of collection specimens. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0235222. [PMID: 32639972 PMCID: PMC7343169 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we present and justify an approach for minimal-destructive DNA extraction from historic insect specimens for next generation sequencing applications. An increasing number of studies use insects from museum collections for biodiversity research. However, the availability of specimens for molecular analyses has been limited by the degraded nature of the DNA gained from century-old museum material and the consumptive nature of most DNA extraction procedures. The method described in this manuscript enabled us to successfully extract DNA from specimens as old as 241 years using a minimal-destructive approach. The direct comparison of the DNeasy extraction Kit and the Monarch® PCR & DNA Clean-up Kit showed a significant increase of 17.3-fold higher DNA yield extracted with the Monarch Oligo protocol on average. By using an extraction protocol originally designed for oligonucleotide clean-up, we were able to combine overcoming the restrictions by target fragment size and strand state, with minimising time consumption and labour-intensity. The type specimens used for the minimal-destructive DNA extraction exhibited no significant external change or post-extraction damage, while sufficient DNA was retrieved for analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Patzold
- Museum of Zoology (Museum für Tierkunde), Senckenberg Natural History Collections Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Alberto Zilli
- Division Insects, Department Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anna K. Hundsdoerfer
- Museum of Zoology (Museum für Tierkunde), Senckenberg Natural History Collections Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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McDonald LT, Narayanan S, Sandy A, Saranathan V, McNamara ME. Brilliant angle-independent structural colours preserved in weevil scales from the Swiss Pleistocene. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200063. [PMID: 32289243 PMCID: PMC7211455 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Extant weevils exhibit a remarkable colour palette that ranges from muted monochromatic tones to rainbow-like iridescence, with the most vibrant colours produced by three-dimensional photonic nanostructures housed within cuticular scales. Although the optical properties of these nanostructures are well understood, their evolutionary history is not fully resolved, in part due to a poor knowledge of their fossil record. Here, we report three-dimensional photonic nanostructures preserved in brightly coloured scales of two weevils, belonging to the genus Phyllobius or Polydrusus, from the Pleistocene (16–10 ka) of Switzerland. The scales display vibrant blue, green and yellow hues that resemble those of extant Phyllobius/Polydrusus. Scanning electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering analyses reveal that the subfossil scales possess a single-diamond photonic crystal nanostructure. In extant Phyllobius/Polydrusus, the near-angle-independent blue and green hues function primarily in crypsis. The preservation of far-field, angle-independent structural colours in the Swiss subfossil weevils and their likely function in substrate matching confirm the importance of investigating fossil and subfossil photonic nanostructures to understand the evolutionary origins and diversification of colours and associated behaviours (e.g. crypsis) in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke T McDonald
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork T23 TK30, Ireland.,Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork T23 XE10, Ireland
| | - Suresh Narayanan
- Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
| | - Alec Sandy
- Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
| | - Vinodkumar Saranathan
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, 138609, Singapore.,Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore 117543, Singapore.,NUS Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative (NUSNNI-NanoCore), National University of Singapore, 117581, Singapore.,Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, 117377, Singapore
| | - Maria E McNamara
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork T23 TK30, Ireland.,Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork T23 XE10, Ireland
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D'Alba L, Wang B, Vanthournout B, Shawkey MD. The golden age of arthropods: ancient mechanisms of colour production in body scales. J R Soc Interface 2019; 16:20190366. [PMID: 31575346 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2019.0366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect colour is extremely diverse and produced by a large number of pigmentary and nanostructural mechanisms. Considerable research has been dedicated to these optical mechanisms, with most of it focused on chromatic colours, such as blues and greens, and less on achromatic colours like white and gold. Moreover, studies on the evolution of these colours are less common and largely limited to inferences from extant organisms, in part because of the limited amount and types of available fossil material. Here, we directly compare nanostructure and colour of extant and amber-preserved (approx. 15 and 99 Myr old, respectively) gold-coloured representatives of micromoths (Lepidoptera: Micropterigidae) and springtails (Collembola: Tomoceridae). Using electron microscopy, microspectrophotometry and finite domain time difference optical modelling, we show that golden coloration in the extant micromoth is produced by nanometre-scale crossribs that function as zero-order diffraction gratings and in the springtail by a diffraction grating without crossribs. Surprisingly, nanostructure and thus predicted colour of the amber-preserved specimens were nearly identical to those of their extant counterparts. Removal of amber enabled direct colour measurement of the fossil micromoth and further revealed that its colour matched both that of the extant specimen and the predicted colour, providing further support for our optical models. Our data thus clearly show an early origin and striking conservation of scale nanostructures and golden coloration, suggesting strong selection pressure either on the colour itself or on the mechanisms that produce the colour. Furthermore, we show the thus-far untapped potential for the use of amber-preserved specimens in studies on the evolution of organismal coloration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana D'Alba
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Bram Vanthournout
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Matthew D Shawkey
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium
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Lin X, Labandeira CC, Shih C, Hotton CL, Ren D. Life habits and evolutionary biology of new two-winged long-proboscid scorpionflies from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1235. [PMID: 30874563 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09236-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-proboscid scorpionflies are enigmatic, mid-Mesozoic insects associated with gymnosperm pollination. One major lineage, Aneuretopsychina, consists of four families plus two haustellate clades, Diptera and Siphonaptera. One clade, Pseudopolycentropodidae, from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber, contains Parapolycentropus. Here, we newly establish Dualula, assigned to Dualulidae, constituting the fifth lineage. Parapolycentropus and Dualula lineages are small, two-winged, with unique siphonate mouthparts for imbibing pollination drops. A cibarial pump provides siphonal food inflow; in Dualula, the siphon base surrounds a hypopharynx housing a small, valved pump constricted to a narrow salivary duct supplying outgoing enzymes for food fluidization. Indirect evidence links long-proboscid mouthpart structure with contemporaneous tubulate ovulate organs. Direct evidence of gymnospermous Cycadopites pollen is associated with one Parapolycentropus specimen. Parapolycentropus and Dualula exhibit hind-wing reduction that would precede haltere formation, likely caused by Ultrabithorax. Distinctive, male Aneuretopsychina genitalia are evident from specimens in copulo, supplemented by mixed-sex individuals of likely male mating swarms. Long-proboscid scorpionflies were associated with mid-Mesozoic gymnosperm pollination. Here, Lin et al. establish a new family of long-proboscid scorpionflies from Myanmar amber, elucidate evolutionary mechanisms of hind-wing reduction, and detail feeding and reproductive habits of these insects.
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Abstract
Chitin is a linear polysaccharide of the amino sugar N-acetyl glucosamine. It is present in the extracellular matrix of a variety of invertebrates including sponges, molluscs, nematodes and arthropods and fungi. Generally, it is an important component of protective or supportive extracellular matrices that cover the tissue that produces it or the whole body of the organism. Chitin fibres associate with each other adopting one of three possible crystalline organisations, i.e. α-, β- or γ-chitin. Usually, chitin fibre bundles interact with chitin-binding proteins forming higher order structures. Chitin laminae, which are two-dimensional sheets of α-chitin crystals with antiparallel running chitin fibres in association with β-folded proteins, are primary constituents of the arthropod cuticle and the fibrous extracellular matrix in sponges. A tri-dimensional composite material of proteins coacervates and β-chitin constitute hard biomaterials such as the squid beak. The molecular composition of γ-chitin-based structures that contribute to the physical barrier found in insect cocoons is less well studied. In principle, chitin is a versatile extracellular polysaccharide that in association with proteins defines the mechanical properties of tissues and organisms.
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Abstract
The metallic coloration of insects often originates from diverse nanostructures ranging from simple thin films to complex three-dimensional photonic crystals. In Lepidoptera, structural coloration is widely present and seems to be abundant in extant species. However, even some basal moths exhibit metallic coloration. Here, we have investigated the origin of the vivid metallic colours of the wing scales of the basal moth Micropterix aureatella by spectrophotometry and scanning electron microscopy. The metallic gold-, bronze- and purple-coloured scales share a similar anatomy formed of a fused lower and upper lamina resulting in a single thin film. The optical response of this thin-film scale can be attributed to thin-film interference of the incident light, resulting in the colour variations that correlate with film thickness. Subtle variations in the wing scale thickness result in large visible colour changes that give Micropterix moths their colourful wing patterns. This simple coloration mechanism could provide a hint to understand the evolution of structural coloration in Lepidoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Kilchoer
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Ullrich Steiner
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Bodo D Wilts
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
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Onelli OD, Wilts BD, Vignolini S. Living Light 2018: Conference Report. Biomimetics (Basel) 2018; 3:E11. [PMID: 31105233 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics3020011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Living Light is a biennial conference focused on all aspects of light–matter interaction in biological organisms with a broad, interdisciplinary outlook. The 2018 edition was held at the Møller Centre in Cambridge, UK, from April 11th to April 14th, 2018. Living Light’s main goal is to bring together researchers from different backgrounds (e.g., biologists, physicists and engineers) in order to discuss the current state of the field and sparkle new collaborations and new interdisciplinary projects. With over 90 national and international attendees, the 2018 edition of the conference was strongly multidisciplinary: oral and poster presentations encompassed a wide range of topics ranging from the evolution and development of structural colors in living organisms and their genetic manipulation to the study of fossil photonic structures.
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