Hybrid effects in field populations of the African monarch butterfly, (L.) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).

Heterosis, Haldane and Bateson-Dobzhansky-Muller effects have been widely documented amongst a range of plants and animals. However, typically these effects are shown by taking parents of known genotype into the laboratory and measuring components of the F progeny under laboratory conditions. This leaves in doubt the real significance of such effects in the field.

Optical Modelling and Phylogenetic Analysis Provide Clues to the Likely Function of Corneal Nipple Arrays in Butterflies and Moths.

The lenses in compound eyes of butterflies and moths contain an array of nipple-shaped protuberances, or corneal nipples. Previous work has suggested that these nipples increase light transmittance and reduce the eye glare of moths that are inactive during the day. This work builds on but goes further than earlier analyses suggesting a functional role for these structures including, for the first time, an explanation of why moths are attracted to UV light.

Correction: Popular interest in vertebrates does not reflect extinction risk and is associated with bias in conservation investment.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Popular interest in vertebrates does not reflect extinction risk and is associated with bias in conservation investment.

The interrelationship between public interest in endangered species and the attention they receive from the conservation community is the 'flywheel' driving much effort to abate global extinction rates. Yet big international conservation non-governmental organisations have typically focused on the plight of a handful of appealing endangered species, while the public remains largely unaware of the majority. We quantified the existence of bias in popular interest towards species, by analysing global internet search interest in 36,873 vertebrate taxa.

Exposure of tropical ecosystems to artificial light at night: Brazil as a case study.

Artificial nighttime lighting from streetlights and other sources has a broad range of biological effects. Understanding the spatial and temporal levels and patterns of this lighting is a key step in determining the severity of adverse effects on different ecosystems, vegetation, and habitat types. Few such analyses have been conducted, particularly for regions with high biodiversity, including the tropics.