When you think about butterfliesmost likely, you have an unmistakable idea insects with bright, bold wings. But it turns out that individual butterfly species are sometimes surprisingly difficult to distinguish from each other. Museum collections and genetic analysis are a biological dream team.
“Thanks to the genetic revolution and the collaboration of researchers and museums around the world, led by London's Natural History Museum, century-old butterflies are now speaking to us.” Christophe Fainelentomologist from the Entomological Society of the Guyana Antilles, says the statement. “By comparing modern DNA with ancient DNA from historical samples, we can identify long-confused and overlooked species and reveal greater biodiversity than previously known.”
An international team of scientists from AMISTAD, a new research project led by London's Natural History Museum, is sorting members of a group of South American blue butterflies. Using more than 1,000 specimens from collections around the world, they discovered nine previously unidentified butterfly species. Tereus genus. This genus of butterflies with thin wings is found in the Neotropics. Tereus The species is under threat as South America's rainforests are being rapidly deforested.
The team also extracted genetic material from the leg of a butterfly that is more than 100 years old. using the latest DNA sequencing technology. Using this material, they were able to study tiny physical differences between butterflies so similar in appearance that entomologists thought they were the same species. Genetic testing confirmed differences hidden right under their noses.
The team specifically studied a group of neotropical butterflies called group of species genes of the subfamily Theclinaewhich was thought to consist of only five species. The results of Feinel and colleagues, recently published in ZootaxaReveal new information about our fellow land creatures, helping us understand the different relationships between species and guide conservation efforts toward potentially endangered species.
“Some of the newly identified species were collected a century ago from habitats that may no longer exist, threatening the existence of these species and highlighting the urgency of this work,” he said. Blanca Huertaschief curator of butterflies at the Natural History Museum and co-author of the study.
Recently named species include Teres cocoa, T. ramireziAnd T. was confusedwith the researchers drawing inspiration from the regions, local scientists, and the taxonomic node they traversed, presumably among others.
Ultimately, the research is also a testament to the enduring scientific value of the collections. The Natural History Museum houses “five million butterfly specimens, which is about 6% of the entire collection,” Blanca concluded. “With some of these specimens dating back to the 1600s, the museum's collections provide an irreplaceable archive of life on our planet, allowing scientists and researchers to study species that may no longer exist or are under threat.”
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