A new North American species of Etainia (Lepidoptera, Nepticulidae), feeding on Arbutus and Arctostaphylos species (Ericaceae).

Etainiathoraceleuca van Nieukerken, Epstein & Davis, sp. nov. is the second native American species of Etainia Beirne, 1945, and the second known Etainia species feeding on Ericaceae. The species is known from light-collected adults in the USA (California, Arizona) and Canada (Ontario). These were linked via DNA barcodes to larvae that make short leafmines on Arbutus and Arctostaphylos species, then continue feeding in stems and branches, causing damage in nurseries and planted trees in Sonoma and Marin Counties, California. The holotype was accidentally reared from Arbutusarizonica, without observing the damage. Life history and damage are described in detail. Damage in Arctostaphylosuva-ursi found in Washington State probably belongs to E.thoraceleuca, which is a sister species to the European E.albibimaculella (Larsen, 1927).

Determining chemical air equivalency using silicone personal monitors.

BACKGROUND: Silicone personal samplers are increasingly being used to measure chemical exposures, but many of these studies do not attempt to calculate environmental concentrations. OBJECTIVE: Using measurements of silicone wristband uptake of organic chemicals from atmospheric exposure, create log Ksa and ke predictive models based on empirical data to help develop air equivalency calculations for both volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds. METHODS: An atmospheric vapor generator and a custom exposure chamber were used to measure the uptake of organic chemicals into silicone wristbands under simulated indoor conditions. Log Ksa models were evaluated using repeated k-fold cross-validation. Air equivalency was compared between best-performing models. RESULTS: Log Ksa and log ke estimates calculated from uptake data were used to build predictive models from boiling point (BP) and other parameters (all models: R2 = 0.70-0.94). The log Ksa models were combined with published data and refined to create comprehensive and effective predictive models (R2: 0.95-0.97). Final estimates of air equivalency using novel BP models correlated well over an example dataset (Spearman r = 0.984) across 5-orders of magnitude (<0.05 to >5000 ng/L). SIGNIFICANCE: Data from silicone samplers can be translated into air equivalent concentrations that better characterize environmental concentrations associated with personal exposures and allow direct comparisons to regulatory levels.

Production, composition, and mode of action of the painful defensive venom produced by a limacodid caterpillar, Doratifera vulnerans.

Venoms have evolved independently several times in Lepidoptera. Limacodidae is a family with worldwide distribution, many of which are venomous in the larval stage, but the composition and mode of action of their venom is unknown. Here, we use imaging technologies, transcriptomics, proteomics, and functional assays to provide a holistic picture of the venom system of a limacodid caterpillar, Doratifera vulnerans Contrary to dogma that defensive venoms are simple in composition, D. vulnerans produces a complex venom containing 151 proteinaceous toxins spanning 59 families, most of which are peptides <10 kDa. Three of the most abundant families of venom peptides (vulnericins) are 1) analogs of the adipokinetic hormone/corazonin-related neuropeptide, some of which are picomolar agonists of the endogenous insect receptor; 2) linear cationic peptides derived from cecropin, an insect innate immune peptide that kills bacteria and parasites by disrupting cell membranes; and 3) disulfide-rich knottins similar to those that dominate spider venoms. Using venom fractionation and a suite of synthetic venom peptides, we demonstrate that the cecropin-like peptides are responsible for the dominant pain effect observed in mammalian in vitro and in vivo nociception assays and therefore are likely to cause pain after natural envenomations by D. vulnerans Our data reveal convergent molecular evolution between limacodids, hymenopterans, and arachnids and demonstrate that lepidopteran venoms are an untapped source of novel bioactive peptides.

The assignment of Prodidactidae to Hyblaeoidea, with remarks on Thyridoidea (Lepidoptera).

We examine the systematic position of the lepidopteran family Prodidactidae Epstein and Brown, 2003, which includes the single species Prodidactis mystica (Meyrick). We provide details on a morphological trait of the adult male hindcoxa that appears to link Prodidactidae with Hyblaeidae. This putative relationship is consistent with molecular data derived from five genes. Based on morphological and molecular evidence, we place Prodidactidae in Hyblaeoidea. Moreover, the apex of the larval spinneret is similarly modified in these families and in Thyrididae. This modification is unknown in other Lepidoptera and may prove to be a synapomorphy linking Thyridoidea and Hyblaeoidea. As the latter is not fully congruent with published molecular studies, we refrain from suggesting sister group position for Thyridoidea and Hyblaeoidea.

Patterns of mitochondrial haplotype diversity in the invasive pest Epiphyas postvittana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae).

The light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is a horticultural pest of Australia and New Zealand that has more recently invaded Hawaii, Europe, and California. A 2,216-bp region of the mitochondrial genome containing the cytochrome oxidase I and II genes was sequenced from 752 individuals. Haplotype network analyses revealed a major split between a predominantly Western Australian clade and all other samples, suggestive of either a deep genetic divergence or a cryptic species. Nucleotide and haplotype diversity were highest in the country of origin, Australia, and in New Zealand populations, with evidence of haplotype sharing between New Zealand and Tasmania. Nucleotide and haplotype diversity were higher in California than within the British Isles or Hawaii. From the total of 96 haplotypes, seven were found in California, of which four were private. Within California, there have been at least two introductions; based on genetic diversity we were unable to assign a likely source for a single moth found and eradicated in Los Angeles in 2007; however, our data suggest it is unlikely that Hawaii and the British Isles are sources of the major E. postvittana population found throughout the rest of the state since 2006.

A quarter of a century succession of epigaeic beetle assemblages in remnant habitats in an urbanized matrix (Coleoptera, Carabidae).

We studied the long-term (23-24 years) species turnover and succession of epigaeic beetle assemblages (Coleoptera: Carabidae, incl. Cicindelinae) in three remnant habitats [cottonwood (Populus spp.) and oak (Quercus spp.) stands, and old fields] that are embedded within highly urbanized areas in central Minnesota. A total of 9,710 beetle individuals belonging to 98 species were caught in three sampling years: 1980, 1981 and 2005 in pitfall traps in identical locations within each habitat. Results indicate that there were 2-3 times greater trap catches in 2005 than in 1980 (cottonwood and oak stands, and old fields) and 1.4-1.7 times greater species diversity of beetles in 2005 than in the 1980-1981 suggesting increased habitat association by beetles over time. Although there were no significant differences in catches between 2005 and 1981 (only cottonwood stands and old fields), there was a trend where more beetles were caught in 2005. At the species-level, 10 times more of an open-habitat carabid species, Cyclotrachelus sodalis sodalis LeConte, was caught in 2005 than in 1980. However, trap catches of five other abundant carabid species [Pterostichus novus Straneo, Platynus decentis (Say), Platynus mutus (Say), Calathus gregarius (Say), and Poecilus lucublandus lucublandus (Say)] did not change indicating population stability of some beetle species. These remnant habitats were increasingly colonized by exotic carabid species as Carabus granulatus granulatus Linneaus, Clivina fossor (Linneaus) and Platynus melanarius (Illiger), that were trapped for the first time in 2005. Species composition of epigaeic beetles was quite distinct in 2005 from 1980 with 39 species reported for the first time in 2005, indicating a high turnover of assemblages. At the habitat-level, greatest species diversity was in cottonwood stands and lowest was in old fields, and all habitat types in 2005 diverged from those in 1980s, but not cottonwood stands in 1981. As our sampled areas are among some of the last remnants of the original oak savanna habitats in central Minnesota, we hypothesize that conservation of these sites may be critical to maintaining epigaeic beetle assemblages under increased urbanization pressure.

Engaging undergraduates to solve global health challenges: a new approach based on bioengineering design.

Recent reports have highlighted the need for educational programs to prepare students for careers developing and disseminating new interventions that improve global public health. Because of its multi-disciplinary, design-centered nature, the field of Biomedical Engineering can play an important role in meeting this challenge. This article describes a new program at Rice University to give undergraduate students from all disciplines a broad background in bioengineering and global health and provides an initial assessment of program impact. Working in partnership with health care providers in developing countries, students in the Beyond Traditional Borders (BTB) initiative learn about health challenges of the poor and put this knowledge to work immediately, using the engineering design process as a framework to formulate solutions to complex global health challenges. Beginning with a freshman design project and continuing through a capstone senior design course, the BTB curriculum uses challenges provided by partners in the developing world to teach students to integrate perspectives from multiple disciplines, and to develop leadership, communication, and teamwork skills. Exceptional students implement their designs under the guidance of clinicians through summer international internships. Since 2006, 333 students have designed more than 40 technologies and educational programs; 28 have been implemented in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, southeast Asia, and the United States. More than 18,000 people have benefited from these designs. 95% of alumni who completed an international internship reported that participation in the program changed or strengthened their career plans to include a focus on global health medicine, research, and/or policy. Empowering students to use bioengineering design to address real problems is an effective way to teach the new generation of leaders needed to solve global health challenges.

Toward reconstructing the evolution of advanced moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera: Ditrysia): an initial molecular study.

BACKGROUND: In the mega-diverse insect order Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths; 165,000 described species), deeper relationships are little understood within the clade Ditrysia, to which 98% of the species belong. To begin addressing this problem, we tested the ability of five protein-coding nuclear genes (6.7 kb total), and character subsets therein, to resolve relationships among 123 species representing 27 (of 33) superfamilies and 55 (of 100) families of Ditrysia under maximum likelihood analysis. RESULTS: Our trees show broad concordance with previous morphological hypotheses of ditrysian phylogeny, although most relationships among superfamilies are weakly supported. There are also notable surprises, such as a consistently closer relationship of Pyraloidea than of butterflies to most Macrolepidoptera. Monophyly is significantly rejected by one or more character sets for the putative clades Macrolepidoptera as currently defined (P < 0.05) and Macrolepidoptera excluding Noctuoidea and Bombycoidea sensu lato (P < or = 0.005), and nearly so for the superfamily Drepanoidea as currently defined (P < 0.08). Superfamilies are typically recovered or nearly so, but usually without strong support. Relationships within superfamilies and families, however, are often robustly resolved. We provide some of the first strong molecular evidence on deeper splits within Pyraloidea, Tortricoidea, Geometroidea, Noctuoidea and others.Separate analyses of mostly synonymous versus non-synonymous character sets revealed notable differences (though not strong conflict), including a marked influence of compositional heterogeneity on apparent signal in the third codon position (nt3). As available model partitioning methods cannot correct for this variation, we assessed overall phylogeny resolution through separate examination of trees from each character set. Exploration of "tree space" with GARLI, using grid computing, showed that hundreds of searches are typically needed to find the best-feasible phylogeny estimate for these data. CONCLUSION: Our results (a) corroborate the broad outlines of the current working phylogenetic hypothesis for Ditrysia, (b) demonstrate that some prominent features of that hypothesis, including the position of the butterflies, need revision, and (c) resolve the majority of family and subfamily relationships within superfamilies as thus far sampled. Much further gene and taxon sampling will be needed, however, to strongly resolve individual deeper nodes.

Integration of DNA barcoding into an ongoing inventory of complex tropical biodiversity.

Inventory of the caterpillars, their food plants and parasitoids began in 1978 for today's Area de Conservacion Guanacaste (ACG), in northwestern Costa Rica. This complex mosaic of 120 000 ha of conserved and regenerating dry, cloud and rain forest over 0-2000 m elevation contains at least 10 000 species of non-leaf-mining caterpillars used by more than 5000 species of parasitoids. Several hundred thousand specimens of ACG-reared adult Lepidoptera and parasitoids have been intensively and extensively studied morphologically by many taxonomists, including most of the co-authors. DNA barcoding - the use of a standardized short mitochondrial DNA sequence to identify specimens and flush out undisclosed species - was added to the taxonomic identification process in 2003. Barcoding has been found to be extremely accurate during the identification of about 100 000 specimens of about 3500 morphologically defined species of adult moths, butterflies, tachinid flies, and parasitoid wasps. Less than 1% of the species have such similar barcodes that a molecularly based taxonomic identification is impossible. No specimen with a full barcode was misidentified when its barcode was compared with the barcode library. Also as expected from early trials, barcoding a series from all morphologically defined species, and correlating the morphological, ecological and barcode traits, has revealed many hundreds of overlooked presumptive species. Many but not all of these cryptic species can now be distinguished by subtle morphological and/or ecological traits previously ascribed to 'variation' or thought to be insignificant for species-level recognition. Adding DNA barcoding to the inventory has substantially improved the quality and depth of the inventory, and greatly multiplied the number of situations requiring further taxonomic work for resolution.

Revision of the Natada fusca complex and description of six new neotropical species (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae

Six new species in the genus Natada, which have been hidden under Natada fusca Druce, are described and defined primarily by genitalia. New species include N. burnsi, N. truncata, N. singulara, N. chaconi, N. covelli, and N. confusa. Five of eight species in the Natada fusca complex, which also includes N. fuscodivisa Dognin, occur in Costa Rica. Distribution of the complex ranges from Mexico to the upper Amazon Basin and Guianas. Detailed geographic information and multiple genitalic drawings of males of one species, N. confusa, are provided to help define and separate species. The lectotype and paralectotype of N. fusca are designated.

Revision of the Natada fusca complex and description of six new neotropical species (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae).

Six new species in the genus Natada, which have been hidden under Natada fusca Druce, are described and defined primarily by genitalia. New species include N. burnsi, N. truncata, N. singulara, N. chaconi, N. covelli, and N. confusa. Five of eight species in the Natada fusca complex, which also includes N. fuscodivisa Dognin, occur in Costa Rica. Distribution of the complex ranges from Mexico to the upper Amazon Basin and Guianas. Detailed geographic information and multiple genitalic drawings of males of one species, N. confusa, are provided to help define and separate species. The lectotype and paralectotype of N. fusca are designated.