The genus Ostrinia (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) comprises two of the most important maize pests worldwide, the Asian and the European corn borers. Here, we present an annotated, chromosome-level genome assembly for the most closely related species, the Adzuki bean borer Ostrinia scapulalis, which feeds on various dicotyledon plants. The previous reference genome assembly for this species was generated from short-read sequencing data, resulting in high fragmentation and low completeness. Combining PacBio long read and Hi-C sequencing, we generated a 476 Mb genome with 48 contigs organised into 31 chromosomes (30 autosomes and one Z sex chromosome), with a contig N50 of 16.1 Mbp and BUSCO completeness exceeding 98%. We further combined published and novel RNA-seq data encompassing multiple life stages, tissues, and sexes to annotate 14,261 gene models, reaching a proteome BUSCO completeness of 95%. This highly contiguous reference genome assembly provides a much-improved resource for carrying comparative genomic approaches and better understanding speciation and host plant adaptation in the Ostrinia genus

[...]

Dans son ouvrage publié en 2013, Sur la scène Intérieure, l’écrivain Marcel Cohen commence son récit par la description d’un petit coquetier « modeste et défraîchi », conservé pendant plusieurs décennies dans un placard à vaisselle par une amie de sa mère. Soixante-dix ans après la déportation de presque toute sa famille, à laquelle Marcel Cohen, enfant caché, a échappé, ce coquetier lui parvient. En 2009, l’objet familier a perdu son usage, ses couleurs et laisse entrevoir de vagues traces du papillon orangé qui l’ornait. Cette amie de la famille l’a conservé par attachement pour Marie, la mère de Marcel. Bien qu’abîmé, le coquetier continue à susciter en lui des « bouffées de tendresse ». Il ne concrétise pas seulement le souvenir de Marie, il est « la qualité même de ce souvenir, sa texture, quelque chose d’aussi incertain que le reflet d’une aura ». En 2013, l’image de l’objet orne la couverture de son ouvrage, Sur la scène Intérieure, consacré aux souvenirs de sa famille déportée à Auschwitz. Et cinq ans plus tard, Marcel Cohen décide de confier son coquetier ainsi que d’autres objets personnels au Mémorial de la Shoah, où il est désormais conservé. Au sein d’institutions mémorielles de la Shoah, des femmes et des hommes prennent soin de ces objets, conservateurs ou conservatrices, responsables de collections, archivistes, éducateurs ou chargés de valorisation, selon les évolutions des fiches de postes et des carrières.

Les 21 auteurs (universitaires et praticiens) livrent leurs réflexions et des propositions concrètes sur le rôle du maire, les atouts des centres des villes moyennes, les solutions et idées pour la relance et l’attractivité des centres villes, la lutte contre les nuisances urbaines (et les friches commerciales, la gouvernance urbaine transfrontalière, la politique de la ville, l’Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires, les conventions action cœur de ville et les opérations de revitalisation du territoire (comparaison Dax, Mont-de-Marsan, Lourdes/Tarbes et Pau), le dispositif « Petites villes de demain », les enjeux en Seine-Saint-Denis, l’urbanisme tactique, l’enjeu du sport en ville, le verdissement des villes et l’évolution des villes étendues.

[...]

Mate finding in most moths is based on male perception of a female-emitted pheromone whose species specificity resides in component chemistry and proportions. Components are individually detected by specialized olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) projecting into the macroglomerular complex (MGC) of the male brain. We asked how robust ratio recognition is when challenged by a plant volatile background. To test this, we investigated the perception of the pheromone blend in Agrotis ipsilon, a moth species whose females produce a blend of Z7-dodecenyl acetate (Z7-12:Ac), Z9-tetradecenyl acetate (Z9-14:Ac), and Z11-hexadecenyl acetate in a 4:1:4 ratio optimally attractive for males. First, we recorded the responses of specialist ORNs for Z7 and Z9 and showed that heptanal, a flower volatile, activated Z7 but not Z9 neurons. Then, we recorded intracellularly the responses of MGC neurons to various ratios and showed that heptanal altered ratio responses of pheromone-sensitive neurons. Finally, we analyzed the behavior of males in a wind tunnel and showed that their innate preference for the 4:1:4 blend was shifted in the presence of heptanal. Pheromone ratio recognition may thus be altered by background odorants. Therefore, the olfactory environment might be a selective force for the evolution of pheromone communication systems.

The Neotropical butterfly genus Adelpha Hübner exhibits remarkable species diversity and striking convergence in wing colour patterns potentially explained by mimicry, making it an exceptional model for exploring trait evolution and its relationship with speciation. To date, unresolved phylogenetic relationships hinder a comprehensive understanding of the evolutionary biology of the genus. Using a novel multi‐marker dataset combining one mitochondrial and 15 nuclear gene fragments, we generate the most comprehensive phylogeny of the genus Adelpha to revisit its systematics and investigate the evolution of mimicry colour patterns. Our dataset encompasses 83 of the 87 known extant species and six Limenitis species that were recently excluded from Adelpha (134 of c . 160 subspecies in total), collectively displaying 14 distinct mimicry patterns. We provide conclusive evidence that corroborates previous work on the polyphyly of Adelpha as historically conceived and describe the genus Adelphina Páez & Willmott n. gen . to stabilise the nomenclature. The comprehensive phylogeny provided in this study lays a solid foundation for future research into the processes driving diversification within these species interacting through mimicry. Ancestral character state reconstruction reveals the gradual evolution of mimicry patterns. The more common mimicry pattern IPHICLUS (forewing with orange subapical spot and white band) is inferred as ancestral, but repeated convergent evolution is also recovered. Evolutionary convergence is also observed for the second most abundant mimicry pattern, COCALA (orange‐white banded). Increased rates of mimicry pattern evolution are also found towards the equator. These results underscore the complexity of mimicry evolution in the Neotropical limenitidines, i.e., Adelpha and Adelphina n. gen. , emphasising the need to explore its interplay with other biotic and abiotic factors.

We present the first nuclear genome assembly and a complete mitogenome for Hylesia metabus (Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Saturniidae). The assembled nuclear genome sequence is 1,271 Mb long, which is among the 10 largest lepidopteran genome assemblies published to date. It is scaffolded in 31 pseudo chromosomes, has a BUSCO score of 99.5%, and has a highly conserved synteny compared to phylogenetically close species. Repetitive elements make up 67% of the nuclear genome and are mainly located in intergenic regions, among which LINEs were predominant, with CR1-Zenon being the most abundant. Phylogenetic and comparative analyses of H. metabus assembly and 17 additional Saturniidae and Sphingidae assemblies suggested that an accumulation of repetitive elements likely led to the increased size of H. metabus’ genome. Gene annotation using Helixer identified 26,122 transcripts. The Z scaffold was identified using both a synteny analysis and variations of coverage for two resequenced male and female H. metabus . The H. metabus nuclear genome and mitogenome assemblies can be found and browsed on the BIPAA website and constitute useful resources for future population and comparative genomics studies.

We present the first chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation of the pearly heath Coenonympha arcania, generated with a PacBio HiFi sequencing approach and complemented with Hi-C data. We additionally compare synteny, gene, and repeat content between C. arcania and other Lepidopteran genomes. This reference genome will enable future population genomics studies with Coenonympha butterflies, a species-rich genus that encompasses some of the most highly endangered butterfly taxa in Europe.