Perishing rich, expanding poor: Demography and population genetic patterns in two congeneric butterflies.

In human-altered landscapes, specialist butterflies typically form spatially restricted populations, genetically differentiated due to dispersal restrictions. Generalists, in contrast, display minimum differentiation but high genetic diversity. While local-level actions suffice to conserve specialists and landscape-level actions are necessary for generalists, minimum information exists regarding conservation of species with intermediate features. We targeted two congeneric butterflies, the recently re-expanding Argynnis adippe and the strongly declining A. niobe, co-occurring in the pastoral landscape of the Carpathian Mountains, Czech Republic. We integrated species distribution models, mark-recapture and microsatellite analysis to compare their habitat requirements, adult demography, dispersal and genetic patterns, and expanded the genetic analysis across the Carpathian Arc and beyond to delimit spatial conservation units. In two mountain valleys, both species formed interconnected populations numbering thousands of individuals. Mobility patterns suggested the populations' interconnection across the Czech Carpathians. Genetic diversity was extremely poor in the nonthreatened A. adippe and moderate in the declining A. niobe. No population differentiation was detected within the Czech Carpathians (~1500 km2 ). Low genetic diversity and no differentiation was preserved in A. adippe across East Central Europe, whereas in A. niobe, populations from Serbia were differentiated from the Carpathian Arc + Alps. The high adult mobility linked to low differentiation probably reflects the distribution of larval resources, historically widespread but sparse and currently declining for A. niobe (grazing-disturbed grounds), while currently increasing for A. adippe (abandonment scrub, disturbed woodlands). Units as large as entire mountain systems define population boundaries, and hence conservation management units, for both species.

Dynamics of internal isoprenoid metabolites in young Picea abies (Norway spruce) shoots during drought stress conditions in springtime.

Currently, large areas of Picea abies (Norway spruce) stands in Europe are increasingly affected by drought and heat waves. Moreover, early spring drought has occurred with much higher frequency. Our work focuses on physiological changes induced by drought in four-year-old spruce seedlings during shoot elongation. We investigated drought effect on photosynthetic rate, concentration of abscisic acid and its metabolites, amount and composition of monoterpenes in needles of seedlings from five different provenances (altitude range 550-1280 m above sea level) in Western Carpathians. Spruce seedlings subjected to one-month drought stress of moderate intensity (about 50% of soil water content at the end of experiment) showed significant reduction of CO2 uptake and increased concentration of ABA related to untreated controls. Induced drought affected needle monoterpene content and composition. Observed changes in drought-induced physiological parameters were influenced by seedling provenance. The provenance from 920 m above sea level showed the greatest sensitivity to drought with significantly highest ABA content and, at the same time, a clear decline of CO2 uptake and amounts of total monoterpenes. Our results indicating intra-specific provenance-related variability in physiological response of spruce seedlings to drought may provide a basis for improved reforestation strategies in drought risk areas.

Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of the genus Symbrenthia (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) correlates with the past geography of the Oriental region.

Jesters, butterflies in the genus Symbrenthia Hübner, 1819, comprise 14 species mainly distributed in the Oriental region. Although this genus has attracted the attention of many researchers in the past, its taxonomy and biogeographic history remain unclear. In this study, we investigate phylogenetic and biogeographic relationships inferred from one mitochondrial (COI) and two nuclear genes (ArgKin, wingless), using both likelihood and Bayesian approaches. With the exception of S. hippalus, which we find to be either sister to Mynes Boisduval, 1832 or sister to Symbrenthia + Mynes + Araschnia, all species of Symbrenthia form a single monophyletic group. We describe a new genus Mynbrenthia Fric & Rindos gen. nov. to accommodate the taxon hippalus. The genus Symbrenthia splits into four sub-groups, "Brensymthia" (with S. niphanda and S. sinoides), "hypselis" (with S. hypselis, S. brabira, S. leoparda and S. doni), "intricata" (with S. intricata and S. hypatia) and "hippoclus" group (including S. platena and a complex of S. hippoclus and S. lilaea). The genus probably originated in Sundaland or continental Asia during the Eocene. The history of the genus Symbrenthia was more influenced by dispersal events and then by subsequent vicariances. Whereas the "hypselis" group colonised the Indo-Australian Archipelago from the Asian continent, the "hippoclus" group dispersed to continental Asia from the Indo-Australian Archipelago.

Wolbachia affects mitochondrial population structure in two systems of closely related Palaearctic blue butterflies.

The bacterium Wolbachia infects many insect species and spreads by diverse vertical and horizontal means. As co-inherited organisms, these bacteria often cause problems in mitochondrial phylogeny inference. The phylogenetic relationships of many closely related Palaearctic blue butterflies (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Polyommatinae) are ambiguous. We considered the patterns of Wolbachia infection and mitochondrial diversity in two systems: Aricia agestis/Aricia artaxerxes and the Pseudophilotes baton species complex. We sampled butterflies across their distribution ranges and sequenced one butterfly mitochondrial gene and two Wolbachia genes. Both butterfly systems had uninfected and infected populations, and harboured several Wolbachia strains. Wolbachia was highly prevalent in A. artaxerxes and the host's mitochondrial structure was shallow, in contrast to A. agestis. Similar bacterial alleles infected both Aricia species from nearby sites, pointing to a possible horizontal transfer. Mitochondrial history of the P. baton species complex mirrored its Wolbachia infection and not the taxonomical division. Pseudophilotes baton and P. vicrama formed a hybrid zone in Europe. Wolbachia could obscure mitochondrial history, but knowledge on the infection helps us to understand the observed patterns. Testing for Wolbachia should be routine in mitochondrial DNA studies.

Cross-continental phylogeography of two Holarctic Nymphalid butterflies, Boloria eunomia and Boloria selene.

Pleistocene glaciations had significant effects on the distribution and evolution of species inhabiting the Holarctic region. Phylogeographic studies concerning the entire region are still rare. Here, we compared global phylogeographic patterns of one boreo-montane and one boreo-temperate butterflies with largely overlapping distribution ranges across the Northern Hemisphere, but with different levels of range fragmentation and food specialization. We reconstructed the global phylogeographic history of the boreo-montane specialist Boloria eunomia (n = 223) and of the boreo-temperate generalist Boloria selene (n = 106) based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers, and with species distribution modelling (SDM). According to the genetic structures obtained, both species show a Siberian origin and considerable split among populations from Nearctic and Palaearctic regions. According to SDMs and molecular data, both butterflies could inhabit vast areas during the moderate glacials. In the case of B. selene, high haplotype diversity and low geographic structure suggest long-lasting interconnected gene flow among populations. A stronger geographic structuring between populations was identified in the specialist B. eunomia, presumably due to the less widespread, heterogeneously distributed food resources, associated with cooler and more humid climatic conditions. Populations of both species show opposite patterns across major parts of North America and in the case of B. eunomia also across Asia. Our data underline the relevance to cover entire distribution ranges to reconstruct the correct phylogeographic history of species.

Epidemiology and long-term survival of pulmonary arterial hypertension in the Czech Republic: a retrospective analysis of a nationwide registry.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe and progressive disease characterized by increased pulmonary vascular resistance, ultimately leading to right heart failure and death. Epidemiological data from national registries are growing worldwide, but are still unavailable in Eastern Europe. METHODS: A PAH registry was initiated in January 2007 using a nationwide network of echocardiographic centers and four diagnostic centers that specialize in PAH. All patients aged above 18 years, diagnosed with PAH and monitored between January 2000 and December 2007 were included. Patients diagnosed with PAH between January and December 2007 were classified as incident. The survival analyses were performed up to the end of 2010. Prognostic factors at the time of diagnosis were identified using uni- and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Overall, 191 patients were included (100 prevalent cases, 91 incident cases). Patients were predominantly female (n = 125) and had a mean age of 51.9 ± 16.9 years. Incident patients were significantly older at the time of diagnosis than prevalent patients (p < 0.001). Most patients (60.7%) had idiopathic PAH; 20.4% had PAH associated with congenital heart disease and 11.4% had PAH associated with connective tissue disease. Estimates of prevalence and incidence of PAH in adults were 22.4 cases per million and 10.7 cases per million per year, respectively. The 1-, 2- and 3-year survival rates in the incident PAH cohort were 89% (95% confidence intervals [CI] 83-95%), 78% (95% CI 70-87%) and 74% (95% CI 65-83%), respectively. Lower survival rates were significantly associated with higher age (hazard ratio [HR] 6.6 95% CI 1.4-30.9) and lower creatinine clearance (HR 3.3 95% CI 1.1-9.7). CONCLUSION: This is the first study in Eastern Europe to describe the prevalence, incidence and survival of patients with PAH from a national representative registry. This registry from the Czech Republic highlights that diagnosis of PAH is frequently made late in the disease continuum when patients have significant functional impairment.

What makes some species of milk snakes more attractive to humans than others?

Animals are ancestrally important stimuli for humans who pay disproportional attention to animal objects and exhibit an outstanding ability to categorize animal species, especially those most relevant to them. Humans as well as other primates perceive snakes as ambivalent stimuli that elicit unspecific arousal and attention. We assessed human aesthetic preferences toward milk snakes, the traditional model for studies of Batesian mimicry. The genus is fairly uniform in size and shape, but includes a great variety of color forms; some possessing aposematic patterns while others being rather cryptic. This provides an opportunity to test which features are responsible for positive aesthetic evaluation of the species. We asked the respondents to rank 34 pictures of milk snakes according to perceived beauty. The sets (whole bodies, heads, and skin fragments) covered most of naturally occurring variation in milk snake appearance. While ranking the beauty, the respondents spontaneously classified the species according to two dimensions. In each set, one of the dimensions corresponds to perceived beauty. The respondents' ranking revealed several distinct clusters of species instead of a continuous gradient. The species clustered in a similar way irrespective of evaluated set. One dimension of the ranking associated with the relative representation of red color and the number of transversal stripes, the other corresponded to a low proportion of red and a high proportion of black color. When the whole body of the snake is evaluated, aposematic coloration contributes to its perceived beauty. In conclusion, humans showed a surprising ability to classify milk snake patterns; they repeatedly formed the same distinct groups of species, thus completing a process that resembles unsupervised categorization.