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Comparative Cytogenetics and Molecular Systematics of Insects
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Comparative Cytogenetics and Molecular Systematics of Insects

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Molecular Biology and Genomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 14031

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Valentina G. Kuznetsova

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Guest Editor
Zoological Institute Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
Interests: chromosome; karyotype; comparative cytogenetics; karyosystematics
Dr. Nazar A. Shapoval

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Guest Editor
Zoological Institute Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
Interests: speciation; evolution; molecular phylogenetics; molecular systematics
Dr. Natalia V. Golub

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Zoological Institute Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
Interests: chromosome; karyotype; comparative cytogenetics; karyosystematics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Comparative cytogenetics has been widely applied to many insect species through routine and banding chromosome staining methods and, later, with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), genomic in situ hybridization (GISH), and chromosomal painting analysis, among others. These approaches permit identifying regions of chromosomal homology, rearrangements, and breakpoints in addition to differentiating the parental genomes in hybrids. However, many pathways of karyotype evolution, mechanisms promoting fixation of chromosome changes, and the processes leading to divergence and speciation in insects remain understudied. With the relatively recent advent of DNA-based approaches, DNA has become a major source of information for taxonomic and phylogenetic inference; however, many questions in this area remain controversial, and additional research and evidence are required.

This Special Issue aims to bring together new cytogenetic and sequence data and highlight the role and prospects of their combined use for understanding chromosomal and molecular evolution in Insecta. All contributions related to evolutionary and comparative cytogenetics and molecular systematics of various insect lineages and taxa are of interest. We particularly welcome articles that identify general trends regarding the use of each type of data. For this Special Issue, original research articles, reviews, and opinion articles addressing important questions related to these fields are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Valentina G. Kuznetsova
Dr. Nazar A. Shapoval
Dr. Natalia V. Golub
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • chromosome
  • karyotype
  • comparative cytogenetics
  • karyosystematics
  • molecular systematics
  • molecular phylogenetics
  • phylogenetic biogeography
  • DNA barcode polymorphism
  • population genetics
  • evolution
  • speciation

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1474 KiB  
Article
The Genomics of Isolated Populations of Gampsocleis glabra (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) in Central and Western Europe
by Oliver Hawlitschek, Carsten Bruns, Lara-Sophie Dey, Soňa Nuhlíčková, Rob Felix, Hein van Kleef, Jacqueline Nakel and Martin Husemann
Insects 2023, 14(12), 946; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14120946 - 14 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1106
Abstract
Habitat destruction and fragmentation are among the major current threats to global biodiversity. Fragmentation may also affect species with good dispersal abilities. We study the heath bushcricket Gampsocleis glabra, a specialist of steppe-like habitats across Europe that are highly fragmented, investigating if [...] Read more.
Habitat destruction and fragmentation are among the major current threats to global biodiversity. Fragmentation may also affect species with good dispersal abilities. We study the heath bushcricket Gampsocleis glabra, a specialist of steppe-like habitats across Europe that are highly fragmented, investigating if these isolated populations can be distinguished using population genomics and if there are any traces of admixture or dispersal among them. We try to answer these questions using genome-wide SNP data generated with ddRAD sequencing. We calculated F-statistics and visualized differentiation using STRUCTURE plots. While limited by the difficulty of sampling this threatened species, our results show that all populations except one that was represented by a singleton were clearly distinct, with pairwise FST values between 0.010 and 0.181. STRUCTURE indicated limited but visible admixture across most populations and probably also an exchange of individuals between populations of Germany and The Netherlands. We conclude that in G. glabra, a certain amount of gene flow has persisted, at least in the past, also among populations that are isolated today. We also detect a possibly more recent dispersal event between a population in The Netherlands and one in Germany, which may be human aided. We suggest that the conservation of larger populations should be maintained, that efforts should be taken to restore abandoned habitat, that the preservation even of small habitat fragments may be beneficial for the conservation of this species, and that these habitats should be regularly monitored for possible (re-)colonization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Comparative Cytogenetics and Molecular Systematics of Insects)
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22 pages, 24218 KiB  
Article
Phylogeography of Two Enigmatic Sulphur Butterflies, Colias mongola Alphéraky, 1897 and Colias tamerlana Staudinger, 1897 (Lepidoptera, Pieridae), with Relations to Wolbachia Infection
by Nazar A. Shapoval, Alexander V. Kir’yanov, Anatoly V. Krupitsky, Roman V. Yakovlev, Anna E. Romanovich, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Nick V. Grishin, Margarita G. Kovalenko and Galina N. Shapoval
Insects 2023, 14(12), 943; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14120943 - 13 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1258
Abstract
The genus Colias Fabricius, 1807 includes numerous taxa and forms with uncertain status and taxonomic position. Among such taxa are Colias mongola Alphéraky, 1897 and Colias tamerlana Staudinger, 1897, interpreted in the literature either as conspecific forms, as subspecies of different but morphologically [...] Read more.
The genus Colias Fabricius, 1807 includes numerous taxa and forms with uncertain status and taxonomic position. Among such taxa are Colias mongola Alphéraky, 1897 and Colias tamerlana Staudinger, 1897, interpreted in the literature either as conspecific forms, as subspecies of different but morphologically somewhat similar Colias species or as distinct species-level taxa. Based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers, we reconstructed a phylogeographic pattern of the taxa in question. We recover and include in our analysis DNA barcodes of the century-old type specimens, the lectotype of C. tamerlana deposited in the Natural History Museum (Museum für Naturkunde), Berlin, Germany (ZMHU) and the paralectotype of C. tamerlana and the lectotype of C. mongola deposited in the Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia (ZISP). Our analysis grouped all specimens within four (HP_I–HP_IV) deeply divergent but geographically poorly structured clades which did not support nonconspecifity of C. mongola–C. tamerlana. We also show that all studied females of the widely distributed haplogroup HP_II were infected with a single Wolbachia strain belonging to the supergroup B, while the males of this haplogroup, as well as all other investigated specimens of both sexes, were not infected. Our data highlight the relevance of large-scale sampling dataset analysis and the need for testing for Wolbachia infection to avoid erroneous phylogenetic reconstructions and species misidentification. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Comparative Cytogenetics and Molecular Systematics of Insects)
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17 pages, 4526 KiB  
Article
Differential Spreading of Microsatellites in Holocentric Chromosomes of Chagas Disease Vectors: Genomic and Evolutionary Implications
by Francisco Panzera, Ángeles Cuadrado, Pablo Mora, Teresa Palomeque, Pedro Lorite and Sebastián Pita
Insects 2023, 14(9), 772; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14090772 - 19 Sep 2023
Viewed by 897
Abstract
This study focused on analyzing the distribution of microsatellites in holocentric chromosomes of the Triatominae subfamily, insect vectors of Chagas disease. We employed a non-denaturing FISH technique to determine the chromosomal distribution of sixteen microsatellites across twenty-five triatomine species, involving five genera from [...] Read more.
This study focused on analyzing the distribution of microsatellites in holocentric chromosomes of the Triatominae subfamily, insect vectors of Chagas disease. We employed a non-denaturing FISH technique to determine the chromosomal distribution of sixteen microsatellites across twenty-five triatomine species, involving five genera from the two principal tribes: Triatomini and Rhodniini. Three main hybridization patterns were identified: strong signals in specific chromosomal regions, dispersed signals dependent on microsatellite abundance and the absence of signals in certain chromosomal regions or entire chromosomes. Significant variations in hybridization patterns were observed between Rhodniini and Triatomini species. Rhodniini species displayed weak and scattered hybridization signals, indicating a low abundance of microsatellites in their genomes. In contrast, Triatomini species exhibited diverse and abundant hybridization patterns, suggesting that microsatellites are a significant repetitive component in their genomes. One particularly interesting finding was the high abundance of GATA repeats, and to a lesser extent AG repeats, in the Y chromosome of all analyzed Triatomini species. In contrast, the Y chromosome of Rhodniini species did not show enrichment in GATA and AG repeats. This suggests that the richness of GATA repeats on the Y chromosome likely represents an ancestral trait specific to the Triatomini tribe. Furthermore, this information can be used to elucidate the evolutionary relationships between Triatomini and other groups of reduviids, contributing to the understanding of the subfamily’s origin. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the composition and distribution of microsatellites within Triatominae genomes, shedding light on their significance in the evolutionary processes of these species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Comparative Cytogenetics and Molecular Systematics of Insects)
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14 pages, 1221 KiB  
Article
On the Origin of Neo-Sex Chromosomes in the Neotropical Dragonflies Rhionaeschna bonariensis and R. planaltica (Aeshnidae, Odonata)
by Liliana M. Mola, Iva Vrbová, Daniela S. Tosto, Magda Zrzavá and František Marec
Insects 2022, 13(12), 1159; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13121159 - 15 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1726
Abstract
Odonata have holokinetic chromosomes. About 95% of species have an XX/X0 sex chromosome system, with heterogametic males. There are species with neo-XX/neo-XY sex chromosomes resulting from an X chromosome/autosome fusion. The genus Rhionaeschna includes 42 species found in the Americas. We analyzed the [...] Read more.
Odonata have holokinetic chromosomes. About 95% of species have an XX/X0 sex chromosome system, with heterogametic males. There are species with neo-XX/neo-XY sex chromosomes resulting from an X chromosome/autosome fusion. The genus Rhionaeschna includes 42 species found in the Americas. We analyzed the distribution of the nucleolar organizer region (NOR) using FISH with rDNA probes in Rhionaeschna bonariensis (n = 12 + neo-XY), R. planaltica (n = 7 + neo-XY), and Aeshna cyanea (n = 13 + X0). In R. bonariensis and A. cyanea, the NOR is located on a large pair of autosomes, which have a secondary constriction in the latter species. In R. planaltica, the NOR is located on the ancestral part of the neo-X chromosome. Meiotic analysis and FISH results in R. planaltica led to the conclusion that the neo-XY system arose by insertion of the ancestral X chromosome into an autosome. Genomic in situ hybridization, performed for the first time in Odonata, highlighted the entire neo-Y chromosome in meiosis of R. bonariensis, suggesting that it consists mainly of repetitive DNA. This feature and the terminal chiasma localization suggest an ancient origin of the neo-XY system. Our study provides new information on the origin and evolution of neo-sex chromosomes in Odonata, including new types of chromosomal rearrangements, NOR transposition, and heterochromatin accumulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Comparative Cytogenetics and Molecular Systematics of Insects)
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12 pages, 979 KiB  
Article
Evolutionary Potential of Parthenogenesis—Bisexual Lineages within Triploid Apomictic Thelytoky in Cacopsylla ledi (Flor, 1861) (Hemiptera, Psylloidea) in Fennoscandia
by Seppo Nokkala, Valentina G. Kuznetsova, Peppi Pietarinen and Christina Nokkala
Insects 2022, 13(12), 1140; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13121140 - 11 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1179
Abstract
A widely accepted hypothesis is that parthenogenesis is an evolutionary dead end since it is selectively advantageous in the short term only but results in lowered diversification rates. Triploid apomictic parthenogenesis might represent an exception, as in favorable environments, triploid females are able [...] Read more.
A widely accepted hypothesis is that parthenogenesis is an evolutionary dead end since it is selectively advantageous in the short term only but results in lowered diversification rates. Triploid apomictic parthenogenesis might represent an exception, as in favorable environments, triploid females are able to produce rare males and diploid females. The aim of the present study was to analyze the modes of reproduction and their evolutionary implications in the parthenogenetic psyllid Cacopsylla ledi (Flor, 1861) from Fennoscandia. The cytogenetic assessment of ploidy levels and the analysis of the COI haplotype revealed two geographically separated bisexual lineages implying genuine bisexual populations. The southern lineage occurring south of latitude 65° N in Finland showed a COI haplotype different from that of parthenogenetic triploids in the same population but identical to the haplotype of specimens in a genuine bisexual population in the Czech Republic. This allows us to suggest that bisexuals in southern Fennoscandia represent the original bisexual C. ledi. By contrast, in the northern bisexual lineage north of latitude 65° N, rare males and diploid females carried the same haplotype as triploids in the same population, having been produced by the triploids. In the Kola Peninsula, a genuine bisexual population of presumably rare male/diploid female origin was discovered. As this population is geographically isolated from populations of the ancestral bisexual C. ledi, it can develop into a new bisexual species through peripatric speciation during evolution. Our findings demonstrate that apomictic triploid parthenogenesis is not necessarily an evolutionary dead end but is able to lead to the emergence of a new bisexual species of parthenogenetic origin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Comparative Cytogenetics and Molecular Systematics of Insects)
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13 pages, 2224 KiB  
Article
Karyotypes and COI Gene Sequences of Chironomus sp. Le1 (Kiknadze and Salova, 1996), Ch. laetus (Belyanina and Filinkova, 1996) and Their Hybrid from the Yamal Peninsula, Arctic Zone of Russia
by Viktor Bolshakov, Alexander Prokin, Dmitry Pavlov, Azamat Akkizov and Ekaterina Movergoz
Insects 2022, 13(12), 1112; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13121112 - 30 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1153
Abstract
The study of the biological diversity of the Arctic zone yields intriguing results. Initial research on the lakes of the Yamal Peninsula resulted in the identification of Chironomus laetus and the hybrid Ch. laetus × Ch. sp. Le1. To avoid misidentification, we [...] Read more.
The study of the biological diversity of the Arctic zone yields intriguing results. Initial research on the lakes of the Yamal Peninsula resulted in the identification of Chironomus laetus and the hybrid Ch. laetus × Ch. sp. Le1. To avoid misidentification, we used morphological, cytogenetic, and molecular genetic approaches. By cytogenetics, in Ch. sp. Le1, seven banding sequences were found: Le1A1, Le1B1, Le1C1, Le1D1, Le1E1, Le1F1, and Le1G1. The karyotype of Ch. laetus was mapped for the first time; it is the first species with the arm combinations AE BC DF G. We propose the name of a new cytocomplex—“laetus”. DNA-barcoding of the COI gene was carried out for Ch. laetus and Ch. laetus × Ch. sp. Le1 for the first time. The estimated genetic distance between the sequences of Ch. laetus and Ch. riihimakiensis is 2.3–2.5%. The high similarity in morphology, banding sequences, and the possibility of hybridization indicate a close relationship between Ch. laetus and Ch. sp. Le1, which is assumed to be the northern variant of Ch. riihimakiensis. Molecular genetic data suggests the presence of a subgroup with Ch. laetus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Comparative Cytogenetics and Molecular Systematics of Insects)
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14 pages, 6966 KiB  
Article
European and Mediterranean Myzocallidini Aphid Species: DNA Barcoding and Remarks on Ecology with Taxonomic Modifications in An Integrated Framework
by Giuseppe Eros Massimino Cocuzza, Giulia Magoga, Matteo Montagna, Juan Manuel Nieto Nafría and Sebastiano Barbagallo
Insects 2022, 13(11), 1006; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13111006 - 01 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1398
Abstract
The genus Myzocallis Passerini (Hemiptera, Aphididae, Calaphidinae, Myzocallidini) is a rather primitive group of aphids currently comprising 45 species and 3 subspecies, subdivided into ten subgenera, three of them having a West Palaearctic distribution. The majority of the species inhabit Fagales plants and [...] Read more.
The genus Myzocallis Passerini (Hemiptera, Aphididae, Calaphidinae, Myzocallidini) is a rather primitive group of aphids currently comprising 45 species and 3 subspecies, subdivided into ten subgenera, three of them having a West Palaearctic distribution. The majority of the species inhabit Fagales plants and some of them are considered pests. Despite their ecological interest and the presence of some taxonomic controversies, there are only a few molecular studies on the group. Here, the main aims were to develop a DNA barcodes library for the molecular identification of West Palaearctic Myzocallis species, to evaluate the congruence among their morphological, ecological and DNA-based delimitation, and verify the congruence of the subgeneric subdivision presently adopted by comparing the results with those obtained for other Panaphidini species. These study findings indicate that Myzocallis (Agrioaphis) leclanti, originally described as a subspecies of M. (A.) castanicola and M. (M.) schreiberi, considered as a subspecies of M. (M.) boerneri, should be regarded at a rank of full species, and the subgenera Agrioaphis, Lineomyzocallis, Neomyzocallis, Pasekia were elevated to the rank of genus, while Myzocallis remain as such. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Comparative Cytogenetics and Molecular Systematics of Insects)
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23 pages, 4382 KiB  
Article
Chromosomes as Barcodes: Discovery of a New Species of Black Fly (Diptera: Simuliidae) from California, USA
by Peter H. Adler and Shaoming Huang
Insects 2022, 13(10), 903; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13100903 - 04 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2034
Abstract
One of the most popular tools for species discovery and resolution is the DNA barcode, typically based on the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene. However, other non-genic barcodes are available for Diptera. The banding sequence of polytene chromosomes in some dipteran cells, [...] Read more.
One of the most popular tools for species discovery and resolution is the DNA barcode, typically based on the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene. However, other non-genic barcodes are available for Diptera. The banding sequence of polytene chromosomes in some dipteran cells, particularly of the larval silk glands, can provide a unique species barcode. We used the sequence of bands to reveal a new species of black fly in the Simulium (Boreosimulium) annulus species group from California, USA. To further characterize the species and provide more integrated taxonomy, we morphologically described all life stages above the egg, formally named the species Simulium ustulatum n. sp., and provided a conventional COI barcode. The COI barcode confirmed the chromosomal and morphological evidence that the species is a new member of the S. annulus group, and enabled identification of the larva and female, which are structurally similar to those of other species. The chromosomal barcode shows that this species has the most rearranged complement, compared with the eight other North American members of its species group, with up to 12 times the number of fixed rearrangements. Up to six chromosomal rearrangements, including autosomal polymorphisms and sex-linked phenomena, are shared with other members of the group. The most unique and conspicuous chromosomal feature of this new species is a large, pale-staining chromocenter from which the six chromosomal arms radiate. The distribution of this univoltine species in lowland rivers of California’s Central Valley could make it vulnerable, given climate change and increasing land development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Comparative Cytogenetics and Molecular Systematics of Insects)
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17 pages, 1071 KiB  
Article
Comparative Cytogenetics of Lace Bugs (Tingidae, Heteroptera): New Data and a Brief Overview
by Natalia V. Golub, Viktor B. Golub, Boris A. Anokhin and Valentina G. Kuznetsova
Insects 2022, 13(7), 608; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13070608 - 06 Jul 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1490
Abstract
The lace bug family Tingidae comprises more than 2600 described species in 318 genera that are classified into the subfamilies Tinginae (about 2500 species and 300 genera), Cantacaderinae, and Vianadinae. We provide data on karyotypes of 16 species belonging to 10 genera of [...] Read more.
The lace bug family Tingidae comprises more than 2600 described species in 318 genera that are classified into the subfamilies Tinginae (about 2500 species and 300 genera), Cantacaderinae, and Vianadinae. We provide data on karyotypes of 16 species belonging to 10 genera of the tribes Tingini and Acalyptaini (Tinginae) studied using conventional chromosome staining and FISH. The species of Tingini possess 2n = 12A + XY, whereas those of Acalyptaini have 2n = 12A + X(0). FISH for 18S rDNA revealed hybridization signals on one of the medium-sized bivalents in species of both tribes. FISH with a telomeric probe TTAGG produced no signals in any species. In addition, we provide a list of all data obtained to date on Tingidae karyotypes, which includes 60 species from 22 genera of Tinginae. The subfamily is highly conservative in relation to the number and size of autosomes, whereas it shows diversity in the number and chromosomal distribution of the rDNA arrays, which may be located either on a pair of autosomes (the predominant and supposedly ancestral pattern), on one or both sex chromosomes, or on an autosome pair and the X. The absence of the “insect” telomeric sequence TTAGG in all species implies that Tinginae have some other, yet unknown, telomere organization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Comparative Cytogenetics and Molecular Systematics of Insects)
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