New data on distribution of Phoenicurusia transcaucasicus (Miller, 1923) (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) with description of a new subspecies from Iran.

Distribution of Phoenicurusia transcaucasicus (Miller, 1923) in Iran and neighbouring territories is clarified based on analysis of DNA barcodes, the male genitalia and wing pattern of adults. Our study revealed the widespread distribution of Ph. transcaucasicus throughout northern, northeastern and central Iran.

COI Barcodes combined with multilocus data for representative Aporia taxa shed light on speciation in the high altitude Irano-Turanian mountain plateaus (Lepidoptera: Pieridae).

Even though the high plateaus of Qinghai-Tibet and Iran share many faunal elements, the historical biogeography of the species present in this area are not very well understood. We present a complete COI barcode library for Aporia Hübner and a first comprehensive phylogeny for the genus including all known species and majority of subspecies using ten available genes (COI-COII, ND1, ND5, Cytb, EF-1a, Wg, 16S, 28S-D2/D3 and 28S-D8). We then focus on A.

More hidden diversity in a cryptic species complex: a new subspecies of (Lepidoptera, Pieridae) from Northern Iran.

A new subspecies of from Northern Iran, discovered by means of DNA barcoding, is described as The new subspecies is allopatric with respect to other populations of and is genetically distinct, appearing as a well-supported sister clade to all other populations in COI-based phylogenetic reconstructions. Details on karyotype, genitalia, ecology and behaviour for the new subspecies are given and a biogeographical speciation scenario is proposed.

An Update on Eukaryotic Viruses Revived from Ancient Permafrost.

One quarter of the Northern hemisphere is underlain by permanently frozen ground, referred to as permafrost. Due to climate warming, irreversibly thawing permafrost is releasing organic matter frozen for up to a million years, most of which decomposes into carbon dioxide and methane, further enhancing the greenhouse effect. Part of this organic matter also consists of revived cellular microbes (prokaryotes, unicellular eukaryotes) as well as viruses that have remained dormant since prehistorical times.

Ust-Luga Seaport of Russia: Biological Invasions and Resting Stages Accumulation.

This article describes the results of a three-year study of invasive species of aquatic ecosystems in the vicinity of Ust-Luga, the largest Russian seaport in the Baltic. Taking into account the great importance of the participation of marine vessels in the dispersal of invasive species, an experimental study of the seasonality of accumulation of resting stages of aquatic invertebrates in the ballast compartments of a vessel located in the Baltic Sea of the Gulf of Finland was carried out. Experiments show that the time of filling the ballast compartments in late summer and autumn poses the greatest risk for the spread of aquatic invertebrates with ship ballast water.

Kinetid structure in Choanocytes of Sponges (Heteroscleromorpha): Toward the ancestral Kinetid of Demospongiae.

Every large clade of Eukarya has its own pattern of kinetid (flagellar apparatus) structure, which is stable and specific within the group, thereby being a good phylogenetic marker. The kinetid structure of sponge choanocytes might be a candidate for such marker for the phylogeny of Porifera. Kinetids of two heteroscleromorphs, Halichondria sp.

Chromosome number evolution in skippers (Lepidoptera, Hesperiidae).

Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), as many other groups of animals and plants, simultaneously represent preservation of ancestral karyotype in the majority of families with a high degree of chromosome number instability in numerous independently evolved phylogenetic lineages. However, the pattern and trends of karyotype evolution in some Lepidoptera families are poorly studied. Here I provide a survey of chromosome numbers in skippers (family Hesperiidae) based on intensive search and analysis of published data.

Establishing criteria for higher-level classification using molecular data: the systematics of Polyommatus blue butterflies (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae).

Most taxonomists agree on the need to adapt current classifications to recognize monophyletic units. However, delineations between higher taxonomic units can be based on the relative ages of different lineages and/or the level of morphological differentiation. In this paper, we address these issues in considering the species-rich Polyommatus section, a group of butterflies whose taxonomy has been highly controversial.

Unprecedented within-species chromosome number cline in the Wood White butterfly Leptidea sinapis and its significance for karyotype evolution and speciation.

Background: Species generally have a fixed number of chromosomes in the cell nuclei while between-species differences are common and often pronounced. These differences could have evolved through multiple speciation events, each involving the fixation of a single chromosomal rearrangement. Alternatively, marked changes in the karyotype may be the consequence of within-species accumulation of multiple chromosomal fissions/fusions, resulting in highly polymorphic systems with the subsequent extinction of intermediate karyomorphs.

DNA barcoding Central Asian butterflies: increasing geographical dimension does not significantly reduce the success of species identification.

DNA barcoding employs short, standardized gene regions (5' segment of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I for animals) as an internal tag to enable species identification. Prior studies have indicated that it performs this task well, because interspecific variation at cytochrome oxidase subunit I is typically much greater than intraspecific variation. However, most previous studies have focused on local faunas only, and critics have suggested two reasons why barcoding should be less effective in species identification when the geographical coverage is expanded.