Wing interference patterns are consistent and sexually dimorphic in the four families of crane flies (Diptera, Tipuloidea)

Wing interference patterns (WIP) are stable structural colors in insect wings caused by thin-film interference. This study seeks to establish WIP as a stable, sexually dimorphic, species-level character across the four families of Tipuloidea and investigate generic level WIP. Thirteen species of Tip...

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Main Authors: Robert T. Conrow, Jon K. Gelhaus
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Pensoft Publishers 2022-01-01
Series:ZooKeys
Online Access:https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/69060/download/pdf/
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author Robert T. Conrow
Jon K. Gelhaus
author_facet Robert T. Conrow
Jon K. Gelhaus
author_sort Robert T. Conrow
collection DOAJ
description Wing interference patterns (WIP) are stable structural colors in insect wings caused by thin-film interference. This study seeks to establish WIP as a stable, sexually dimorphic, species-level character across the four families of Tipuloidea and investigate generic level WIP. Thirteen species of Tipuloidea were selected from museum specimens in the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University collection. One wing from a male and female of each representative species was excised and mounted to a slide with coverslip, placed against a black background, and imaged using an integrated microscope camera. Images were minimally retouched but otherwise unchanged. Descriptions of the WIP for each sex of each species are provided. Twelve of thirteen species imaged had WIP, which were stable and species specific while eight of those twelve had sexually dimorphic WIP. Comparisons of three species of Nephrotoma were inconclusive regarding a generic level WIP. Gnophomyia tristissima had higher intraspecific variation than other species examined. This study confirms stable, species specific WIP in all four families of crane flies for the first time. More research must be done regarding generic-level stability of WIP in crane flies as well as the role sexual and natural selection play in the evolution of wing interference patterns in insects.
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spelling doaj.art-e38bad6676e14c96a4c50c333a8ba8312022-12-22T03:12:04ZengPensoft PublishersZooKeys1313-29702022-01-01108013516310.3897/zookeys.1080.6906069060Wing interference patterns are consistent and sexually dimorphic in the four families of crane flies (Diptera, Tipuloidea)Robert T. Conrow0Jon K. Gelhaus1Drexel UniversityDepartment of Entomology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel UniversityWing interference patterns (WIP) are stable structural colors in insect wings caused by thin-film interference. This study seeks to establish WIP as a stable, sexually dimorphic, species-level character across the four families of Tipuloidea and investigate generic level WIP. Thirteen species of Tipuloidea were selected from museum specimens in the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University collection. One wing from a male and female of each representative species was excised and mounted to a slide with coverslip, placed against a black background, and imaged using an integrated microscope camera. Images were minimally retouched but otherwise unchanged. Descriptions of the WIP for each sex of each species are provided. Twelve of thirteen species imaged had WIP, which were stable and species specific while eight of those twelve had sexually dimorphic WIP. Comparisons of three species of Nephrotoma were inconclusive regarding a generic level WIP. Gnophomyia tristissima had higher intraspecific variation than other species examined. This study confirms stable, species specific WIP in all four families of crane flies for the first time. More research must be done regarding generic-level stability of WIP in crane flies as well as the role sexual and natural selection play in the evolution of wing interference patterns in insects.https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/69060/download/pdf/
spellingShingle Robert T. Conrow
Jon K. Gelhaus
Wing interference patterns are consistent and sexually dimorphic in the four families of crane flies (Diptera, Tipuloidea)
ZooKeys
title Wing interference patterns are consistent and sexually dimorphic in the four families of crane flies (Diptera, Tipuloidea)
title_full Wing interference patterns are consistent and sexually dimorphic in the four families of crane flies (Diptera, Tipuloidea)
title_fullStr Wing interference patterns are consistent and sexually dimorphic in the four families of crane flies (Diptera, Tipuloidea)
title_full_unstemmed Wing interference patterns are consistent and sexually dimorphic in the four families of crane flies (Diptera, Tipuloidea)
title_short Wing interference patterns are consistent and sexually dimorphic in the four families of crane flies (Diptera, Tipuloidea)
title_sort wing interference patterns are consistent and sexually dimorphic in the four families of crane flies diptera tipuloidea
url https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/69060/download/pdf/
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AT jonkgelhaus winginterferencepatternsareconsistentandsexuallydimorphicinthefourfamiliesofcranefliesdipteratipuloidea