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Insects
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Butterfly Wing Color Patterns
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Butterfly Wing Color Patterns

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Physiology, Reproduction and Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 7432

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Joji M. Otaki

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The BCPH Unit of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
Interests: butterfly wing color pattern formation; phenotypic plasticity and evolution of insects; biological effects of environmental radioactive pollution in Fukushima

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Lepidopteran insects, especially butterflies, have extraordinary color patterns on their wings. Not surprisingly, butterfly wing color patterns have attracted many amateur and professional biologists since the time of Wallace and Bates. Thanks to the seminal work of Nijhout (1991), “The Development and Evolution of Butterfly Wing Patterns”, considerable progress has been made in the field of the biology of butterfly wing color patterns. However, our mechanistic understanding of the butterfly wing system is still immature. To promote this specific and important field of biology, this Special Issue will present various types of research associated with butterfly wing color patterns. Studies using any methodologies, such as genetics, physiology, microscopy, imaging, behavioral analysis, and field work, are welcome so long as they involve butterfly wing color patterns in a broader sense. Studies concerning moth wing patterns are also welcome.

Prof. Joji M. Otaki
Guest Editor

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

  • butterfly wing
  • color pattern
  • wing morphology
  • wing development
  • wing evolution
  • metamorphosis
  • visual communication
  • genetic factor
  • environmental factor
  • seasonal polyphenism
  • phenotypic plasticity

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 2938 KiB  
Article
The Fractal Geometry of the Nymphalid Groundplan: Self-Similar Configuration of Color Pattern Symmetry Systems in Butterfly Wings
by Joji M. Otaki
Insects 2021, 12(1), 39; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects12010039 - 6 Jan 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3389
Abstract
The nymphalid groundplan is an archetypical color pattern of nymphalid butterflies involving three major symmetry systems and a discal symmetry system, which share the basic morphogenesis unit. Here, the morphological and spatial relationships among these symmetry systems were studied based on cross-species comparisons [...] Read more.
The nymphalid groundplan is an archetypical color pattern of nymphalid butterflies involving three major symmetry systems and a discal symmetry system, which share the basic morphogenesis unit. Here, the morphological and spatial relationships among these symmetry systems were studied based on cross-species comparisons of nymphalid hindwings. Based on findings in Neope and Symbrenthia, all three major symmetry systems can be expressed as bands, spots, or eyespot-like structures, suggesting equivalence (homology) of these systems in developmental potential. The discal symmetry system can also be expressed as various structures. The discal symmetry system is circularly surrounded by the central symmetry system, which may then be surrounded by the border and basal symmetry systems, based mainly on findings in Agrias, indicating a unified supersymmetry system covering the entire wing. The border symmetry system can occupy the central part of the wing when the central symmetry system is compromised, as seen in Callicore. These results suggest that butterfly color patterns are hierarchically constructed in a self-similar fashion, as the fractal geometry of the nymphalid groundplan. This self-similarity is likely mediated by the serial induction of organizers, and symmetry breaking of the system morphology may be generated by the collision of opposing signals during development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Butterfly Wing Color Patterns)
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23 pages, 12389 KiB  
Article
Morphological and Spatial Diversity of the Discal Spot on the Hindwings of Nymphalid Butterflies: Revision of the Nymphalid Groundplan
by Joji M. Otaki
Insects 2020, 11(10), 654; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects11100654 - 23 Sep 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3004
Abstract
Diverse butterfly wing color patterns are understood through the nymphalid groundplan, which mainly consists of central, border, and basal symmetry systems and a discal spot. However, the status of the discal spot remains unexplored. Here, the morphological and spatial diversity of the discal [...] Read more.
Diverse butterfly wing color patterns are understood through the nymphalid groundplan, which mainly consists of central, border, and basal symmetry systems and a discal spot. However, the status of the discal spot remains unexplored. Here, the morphological and spatial diversity of the discal spot was studied in nymphalid hindwings. The discal spot is expressed as a small or narrow spot, a pair of parallel bands, a diamond or oval structure, a large dark spot, a few fragmented spots, or a white structure. In some cases, the discal spot is morphologically similar to and integrated with the central symmetry system (CSS). The discal spot is always located in a distal portion of the discal cell defined by the wing veins, which is sandwiched by the distal and proximal bands of the CSS (dBC and pBC) and is rarely occupied by border ocelli. The CSS occasionally has the central band (cBC), which differs from the discal spot. These results suggest that the discal spot is an independent and diverse miniature symmetry system nested within the CSS and that the locations of the discal spot and the CSS are determined by the wing veins at the early stage of wing development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Butterfly Wing Color Patterns)
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