Vespa crabro and V. analis are social hornet species commonly found in Asia, including Korea. Mastoparan is one of the major venom peptides of these two hornets but its amino acid sequence defers substantially. To examine the differences in the potential toxicity and bioactivity of mastoparans between these two social hornets, differential toxicological and pharmacological activities of synthesized mastoparan were investigated. V. analis mastoparan showed a 7-fold higher hemolytic activity, suggesting its higher cytotoxic potential compared with V. crabro mastoparan. Mastoparans from both hornet species exhibited similar levels of antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Botrytis cinerea, whereas the mastoparan from V. analis showed more potent antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. Nevertheless, the antimicrobial activities of mastoparans of V. crabro and V. analis were relatively lower compared with those of other wasps. Both mastoparans also exhibited some levels of antitumor activity but the activity was significantly higher in V. analis mastoparan. In summary, the hemolytic, antimicrobial, and antitumor activities of synthesized V. analis mastoparan were higher than those of V. crabro mastoparan. These differential bioactivities are likely due to the amino acid sequence differences in the mature peptides. In particular, the additional Lys residue present in V. analis mastoparan may contribute to the higher levels of bioactivity as proposed by secondary structure prediction.

The hornets Vespa crabro and V. analis are widely distributed in Asia and are known to be aggressive when disturbed, resulting in frequent stinging accidents. To investigate the differences in venom properties and toxicities between these two hornets, the transcriptomic profiles of venom glands, in conjunction with the venom components, were analyzed and compared. A total of 35 venom-specific genes were identified in both venom gland transcriptomes, but their transcriptional profiles were different between V. crabro and V. analis. In addition, the major venom components were identified and confirmed by mass spectroscopy. Prepromastoparan, vespid chemotactic precursor and vespakinin were the top three genes most prevalently transcribed in the venom gland of V. crabro, and their transcription rates were 112-, 16- and 161-fold higher, respectively, compared with those in V. analis, as judged by FPKM values. In the venom gland of V. analis, however, vespid chemotactic precursor was the most abundantly transcribed gene, followed by premastoparan and vespakinin. In general, most major venom genes were more abundantly expressed in V. crabro, whereas some minor venom genes exhibited higher transcription rates in V. analis, including muscle LIM protein, troponin, paramyosin, calponin, etc. Our findings reveal that the overall venom components of V. crabro and V. analis are similar, but that their expression profiles and levels are considerably different. The comparison of venom gland transcriptomes suggests that V. crabro likely produces venom with more highly enriched major venom components, which has potentially higher toxicity compared with V. analis venom.

본 연구에서는 기생성 맵시벌과의 4종에 대하여 새로운 숙주를 보고하고자 한다. 4종의 맵시벌과는 황오색나비 (나비목: 네발나비과), 밤색하 늘소 (딱정벌레목: 하늘소과), 황다리독나방 (나비목: 독나방과)의 번데기에서 각각 발견되었다. 본 논문에서는 맵시벌과 4종의 간략한 식별형질과 사진정보, 황다리독나방에 기생하는 맵시벌과의 목록을 제시 하였다.

Vespa crabro is a cosmopolitan social wasp species whereas Vespa analis is commonly found in Asia. Both species are widely distributed in Korea and known to be aggressive when disturbed, resulting in frequent sting accidents. Although major venom components of well known Vespa wasps have been reported, no comparative transcriptomic analysis of venom gland between V. crabro and V. analis has been conducted to date. To investigate the differences in venom properties between these two wasps, total RNA was extracted from each venom gland and used for RNA-sequencing. A total of 31 venom-specific genes were identified in both venom gland transcriptomes but their expression profiles were different between V. crabro and V. analis. Venom allergen 5, premastoparan A and phospholipase A were the top three genes that were most prevalently transcribed in the venom gland of V. crabro, and their transcription rates were 902-, 112- and 4164-fold higher compared with V. analis, respectively, as judged by FPKM values. Their differential transcription profiles were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR. In the venom gland of V. analis, however, premastoparan A was most abundantly transcribed gene, followed by calponin and tropomysin. In general, most venom-specific genes were more abundantly expressed in V. crabro but some genes exhibited higher transcription rates in V. analis, including muscle LIM protein, troponin, paramyosin, calponin, etc. Our findings suggest that V. crabro produce venom with much more enriched venom components, thereby with higher toxicity compared with V. analis.

Two species of the genus Asiacentistes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) are reported in this study. The genus Asiacentistes is a small braconid group distributed in the East Palaearctic and Oriental regions, which has only two species in the world. One of them, Asiacentistes sinica Chen and Belokobylskij is new to Korea. Diagnosis and distribution in East Asia data are included.

Two species of the genus Cosmophorus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) are reported in this study. Members of Cosmophorus are known as solitary koinobiont endoparasitoids of adults of barkboring and woodboring Scolytidae. The genus Cosmophorus of the subfamily Euphorinae is small in the size and enigmatic in the ecology, which has been recorded in Holarctic, Oriental, Afrotropical and Australian regions. Only five species are known in East Palaearctic. Among them, Cosmophorus (Cosmophorus) klugii Ratzeburg is new to Korea. Diagnosis and distribution data are included.

Two species of the subgenus Exosyntretus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Euphorinae) in the genus Syntretus are reported from Korea in this study. The species of the genus Syntretus are small parasitic wasps, which attack adult Hymenoptera. Their hosts are adult parasitoid wasps and adult bees. The subgenus Exosyntretus are known as only five species in the world. Among them, Syntretus (Exosyntretus) nevelskoii Belokobylskij is new to Korea. The world checklist, diagnosis and distribution data are included.

본 연구를 통해 2종의 Asiacentistes Belokobylskij(아시아넓은칼고치벌속: 신칭)(벌목: 고치벌과)를 보고한다. 그 중 Asiacentistes sinica Chen and Belokobylskij(긴칼집아시아넓은칼고치벌: 신칭)는 한국 미기록종으로 보고한다. 식별형질과 동아시아내 분포 정보를 포함하였다

본 연구를 통해 2종의 큰턱고치벌속(벌목, 고치벌과)을 보고한다. 수원큰턱나무좀고치벌 Cosmophorus (Cosmophorus) klugii Ratzeburg 1종 은 한국미기록종으로 보고한다. 식별형질과 분포 등의 정보를 포함하였다.

본 연구를 통해 한국산 Syntretus속의 Exosyntretus아속(벌목, 고치벌과)에 속하는 2종을 보고한다. 그 중 Syntretus (Exosyntretus) nevelskoii Belokobylskij은 국내 미기록종으로 보고한다. 전세계 기록종 목록, 식별형질과 분포 등의 정보를 포함하였다.

We present the nearly complete mitogenome sequences of the garden chafer, Polyphylla laticollis manchurica, which is listed as an endangered species in Korea. The P. l. manchurica mitogenome, which includes unfinished whole A+T-rich region and a partial srRNA was 14,473-bp long, possessing typical sets of genes (13 PCGs, 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes). Gene arrangement of the P. l. manchurica mitogenome was identical to the common one found in the majority of insects. The 5 bp-long motif sequence (TAGTA) that has been suggested to be the possible binding site for the transcription termination peptide for the major-strand was also found in the P. l. manchurica mitogenome between tRNASer(UCN) and ND1. As has been previously determined, the high A/T content was unanimously observed in P. l. manchurica in terms of A/T bias in the third codon position (73.5%) compared with the first (66.4%) and second codon position (66.2%), and a high frequency of A/T-containing codons (a total of 28.22% for TTA, ATT, TTT, and ATA). The PCGs encoded in major-strands are slightly T-skewed, whereas those of the minor-strand are A-skewed, indicating strand asymmetry in nucleotide composition in the Coleoptera including P. l. manchurica.

토양 서식 절지동물은 토양 생물상의 핵심 구성요소로서 개체수가 풍부하며, 토양의 형성이나 변화에 대한 역할이 잘 알려져 있기 때문에 토양의 상태를 나타내는 좋은 지표 로 여겨지고 있다. 최근 이탈리아에서는 토양에 서식하는 절지동동물을 대상으로, 분류군별로 토양에서의 역할 정도 에 따라 고유의 지수를 할당하고, 이 지수들을 이용하여 토 양의 상태 판정에 활용하는 기법(QBS, Biological Quality of Soil)을 개발하여 토양생태계 관리에 적극 활용하고 있으 며(Parisi, 2005) 우리나라에서도 이 기법을 도입하여 토양 의 질을 판정하는 시도가 있었다. QBS에서는 토양환경에 적응한 절지동물들의 적응 수준을 평가하고, 토양에서의 역 할과 적응 정도에 따라 분류군별로 목 수준에서 생태ㆍ형태 학적 지수(EMI, Eco-morphologic index)를 부여하기 때문 에, 토양에 서식하는 동물들을 종수준에서 동정하는 어려움 을 극복하고자 개발된 것이다. 예를 들면 토양에 서식하는 미소절지동물들은 토양 환경에 대한 적응을 나타내는 형태 학적 특징들을 잘 보여주는데, 체색이나 시각기구의 감소나 퇴화, 부속지(털, 더듬이, 다리)들이 감소하거나 빽빽한 형 태로 된 유선형의 체형, 비행능력이 퇴화하거나 없고 도약 이나 달리는 것의 적응, 그리고 큐티클 층이 얇고 바깥쪽 표면에 소수성 화합물이 부족해서 수분보유능이 감소한 것 등이다. QBS에서는 이런 토양환경과 관련된 특징들의 존 재 유무만 집중하여 조사하고 토양에 사는 절지동물을 복잡 하고 까다롭게 종 수준에서 동정할 필요가 없기 때문에 토 양서식 절지동물 동정에 비전문가인 사람들도 손쉽게 시스 템을 이용할 수 있는 장점이 있다. 조사지역 토양의 상태를 나타내는 QBS 값을 구하는 순서는 이탈리아에서 사용된 것과 동일하게 먼저 대상지역의 토양을 채취하고 미소절지 동물을 분리한 후 주로 목 수준에서 동정하고 최종적으로 분류군과 맞는 EMI를 계산하여 결정하게 된다. 본 연구에 서는 일반적으로 통용되는 기준에 따라, 토양 심층에 서식 하는 분류군(eu-edaphic)의 지수는 20, 중층서식 분류군 (hemi-edaphic)은 적응 정도에 따라 보통 5∼20, 표층에 서 식하는 분류군(epi-edaphic)은 1을 부여하였다. 낫발이목이 나 좀붙이목처럼 토양에 적응한 정도가 유사한 종들로 구성 된 분류군들은 단일 EMI를 갖는데, 이들은 심충에 서식하 기 때문에 여기에 속하는 종들은 모두 20을 갖게 된다. 그렇 지만 톡토기목이나 딱정벌레목처럼 토양에 적응한 정도가 다른 종들로 구성된 경우에는 종의 특성에 따라 다른 EMI 를 갖게 된다. 만약 동일한 장소에서 동일한 분류군에 속하 는 다른 EMI를 갖는 생태ㆍ형태형이 존재하면 최종 점수는 높은 EMI를 갖는 분류군으로 결정하였다. 즉 최고로 토양 에 잘 적응한 분류군이 그 전체 분류군의 대표적인 EMI를 결정하는 것이다. 최종 QBS 점수는 모든 조사된 분류군들 의 EMI를 합산하여 산출 하였다. 본 연구에서는 제주도의 4개 지역을 대상으로 토양 절지동물상을 조사하고 한국형 QBS시스템을 적용하여 토양의 상태를 파악하고자 하였다 (서, 2012). 제주도 내 토양 무척추동믈 채집은 4곳(St.1∼4)에서 진 행되었다. St.1은 제주도 서귀포시 남원읍 신례리로서 한라 산 자락의 해발 664m지역으로 자연이 잘 보존된 지역으로 서어나무, 조릿대가 우점하였다. St.2는 제주도 제주시 오등 동 지역으로 한라생태숲 내의 관리사가 있는 지역으로 인간 의 간섭이 일부 존재 했던 곳이며 서어나무, 쥐똥나무, 억새 가 우점하였다. St.3는 제주시 월평동 지역으로 한라산 국립 공원의 관음사 인근지역이다. 숲이 잘 보존된 지역이다. St.4는 조사지역 중 표고가 가장 낮은 103m였고, 곶자왈이 잘 보존된 동백동산 내의 폐원된 밀감과원 지역으로 종가시 나무, 사스레피나무, 감귤나무 등이 많이 분포하였다. 조사 지에서 토양 절지동물의 채집과 분리는 다음과 같이 진행하 였다. 먼저 조사지점에 토양 샘플러(10×10×30㎝, 스테인레 스 소재)를 설치하고 고무망치를 이용하여 깊이 10㎝로 박 은 다음에 토양 샘플러를 조심스럽게 회수하고 안에 있는 1,000㎖ 분량의 토양을 지퍼백에 보관하여 실험실로 가급 적 빨리 운반한 후 Tullgren 장치에 넣어 토양 절지동물들을 분리하였다. 분리된 토양동물은 75% 에타놀에 액침표본으 로 보관 한 후 동정하였다. 동정은 토양동물학(최, 1996)과 일본산 토양동물도감(Aoki, 1996)의 검색표를 이용하여 QBS 분석에 필요한 목 또는 강 수준까지 진행하였다. 조사지점의 QBS 결과는 다음과 같다. St.1에서는 노린재 목, 딱정벌레목, 벌목, 파리목 유충, 진드기목, 거미목, 순각 강, 배각강이 조사되었고 각 분류군별 EMI를 활용하여 환 산된 QBS 점수는 총 110으로 상태가 양호한 2등급 토양을 나타냈다. St.2에서는 톡토기목, 노린재목, 딱정벌레목, 벌 목, 파리목 유충, 진드기목, 거미목, 의갈목, 순각강, 배각강 이 조사되었고 각 분류군별 EMI를 활용하여 환산된 QBS 점수는 총 150으로 상태가 양호한 2등급 토양을 나타냈다. St.3에서는 톡토기목, 노린재목, 딱정벌레목, 벌목, 파리목 유충, 완전변태 곤충 유충, 진드기목, 거미목, 순각강이 조사 되었고 각 분류군별 EMI를 활용하여 환산된 QBS 점수는 총 120으로 상태가 양호한 2등급 토양을 나타냈다. St.4에 서는 좀붙이목, 톡토기목, 집게벌레목, 노린재목, 딱정벌레 목, 벌목, 파리목 유충, 완전변태 곤충 유충, 불완전변태 곤 충 유충, 진드기목, 거미목, 의갈목, 등각목, 순각강, 배각강 이 조사되었고 각 분류군별 EMI를 활용하여 환산된 QBS 점수는 총 192로 상태가 양호한 2등급 토양을 나타냈다. 조사된 4개 지역의 토양 상태는 QBS가 나눈 토양의 7개 등급 중 전부 2등급으로서 우수한 것으로 나타났다. 이 결과 는 조사된 지역들이 생태계가 잘 보존된 한라산 국립공원 인근지역이거나 한라생태숲 지역, 곶자왈 지역이기 때문에 당연한 것으로 여겨지며, QBS가 한국의 토양 상태를 평가 하는데 유용하게 사용될 수 있다는 것을 다시 한번 확인 할 수 있었다.

The dung beetle, Copris tripartitus, (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), is one of the insect species listed as endangered wildlife in Korea. In order to establish conservation strategy an investigation on nation-wide genetic magnitude and nature of genetic diversity would be required. In this study, we sequenced each partial sequences of mitochondrial COI (658 bp) and CytB (433 bop) genes and complete internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (411~420 bp) from 70 individuals of C. tripartitus collected from five Korean localities. The sequence divergence of mitochondrial genes was unexpectedly substantial as 5.0% (33 bp) for COI and 4.6% (20 bp) for CytB, whereas that of ITS2 was only 1.9% (6 bp), revealing much higher variability in mitochondrial DNA. In phylogenetic analysis, each 57 and 47 haplotypes obtained from COI and CytB gene sequences was subdivided into two groups (groups A and B), but the node supports for each group was not strong enough to consider each group as independent monophyletic groups in both genes. This interpretation was further supported by the same analysis with ITS2, showing no subdivision at all. These findings reinforce importance for the inference of phylogenetic result using both mitochondrial and nuclear encoded sequences. The C. tripartitus occurring in Korean peninsula was genetically well connected to each other and no obvious population genetic structure was detectable.

The phylogenetic relationships among true butterfly families (superfamily Papilionoidea) have been a matter of substantial controversy, and that debate has led to several competing hypotheses. Two of the most compelling of those hypotheses involve the relationships of (Nymphalidae + Lycaenidae) + (Pieridae + Papilionidae) and (((Nymphalidae + Lycaenidae) + Pieridae) + Papilionidae). In this study, approximately 3,500 nucleotide sequences from cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA), and elongation factor-1 alpha (EF-1α) were sequenced from 83 species belonging to four true butterfly families, along with those of eight outgroup species belonging to the skipper family (superfamily Hesperioidea). These sequences were subjected to phylogenetic reconstruction via Bayesian Inference (BI), Maximum Likelihood (ML), and Maximum Parsimony (MP) algorithms. All phylogenetic analyses among the four true butterfly families strongly indicated a sister relationship between the Nymphalidae and Lycaenidae on one hand, and relatively strongly indicated a sister relationship between the Pieridae and Papilionidae on another hand, thus supporting the hypothesis: (Nymphalidae + Lycaenidae) + (Pieridae + Papilionidae).

Two complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of the endangered, lycaenid butterflies, Spindasis takanonis and Protantigius superans (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), were sequenced. Each 15,349 bp and 15,248 bp-long genome contained both the lepidopteran specific gene arrangement that differ from the most common arrangement of insects by the movement of tRNAMet to a position 5’-upstream of tRNAIle. Neither of the species have typical COI start codon. Instead, the CGA (arginine) sequence that is commonly present in all other lepidopterans was also found in both lycaenids. The possible binding site for the transcription termination peptide, TACTA sequence, also was well retained in both species. The high A+T-content, which is a characteristic of insect mitogenomes was well reflected in the genomes in the form of higher frequency of codons with A/T nucleotides, severe A/T bias in 3rd codon position, and extremely high A/T content in the A+T-rich region. The 19 bp-long poly-T stretch and the downstream conserved motif ATAG, which were suggested previously to function as a structural signal for minor-strand mtDNA replication, was also well conserved in the A+T-rich region of both lycaenids. Phylogenetic analysis among lepidopteran superfamilies supported the relationships of either (((((Bombycoidea + Geometroidea) + Noctuoidea) + Papilionoidea) + Pyraloidea) + Tortricoidea) by concatenated amino acid sequence or (((((Bombycoidea + Geometroidea) + Noctuoidea) + Pyraloidea) + Papilionoidea) + Tortricoidea) by concatenated nucleotide sequences of 1st and 2nd codon positions of 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes, revealing fluctuating positions of Papilionoidea and Pyraloidea between the two data sets.

Eumenis autonoe, a member of the lepidopteran family Nymphalidae (superfamily Papilionoidea) is an endangered species, and is found only on one isolated remote island, Jeju in South Korea, on Halla Mt., at altitudes higher than 1,400 meters. In this study, we report the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of E. autonoe. The 15,489-bp long E. autonoe genome evidenced the typical gene content found in animal mitogenomes, and harbors the gene arrangement identical to all other sequenced lepidopteran insects, which differs from the most common type found in insects, due to the movement of tRNAMet to a position 5’-upstream of tRNAIle. As has been observed in many other lepidopteran insects, no typical ATN codon for the COI gene is available. Thus, we also designated the CGA (arginine) found at the beginning of the COI gene as a lepidopteran COI starter, in accordance with previous suggestions. The 678-bp long A+T-rich region, which is second longest in sequenced lepidopteran insects, harbors 10 identical 27-bp long tandem repeats plus one 13-bp long incomplete final repeat. Such a repeat sequence has been, thus far, only rarely detected in lepidopteran mitogenomes. The E. autonoe A+T-rich region harbors a poly-T stretch of 19 bp and a conserved ATAGA motif located at the end of the region, which have been suggested to function as structural signals for minor-strand mtDNA replication.