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The evolution of lepidopteran brain morphology

Adden, Andrea LU ; Garcia Dominguez, Susana LU orcid ; Kliem, Katharina ; Kannan, Kavitha LU ; Yuvaraj, Jothi Kumar LU ; Raif, Tugce LU ; Boronat-Garcia, Alejandra ; Arganda, Sara ; Talavera, Gerard and Kelber, Almut LU , et al. (2025) In Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology
Abstract

Animals live in diverse environments and have evolved to cope with environmental challenges in different ways. How such adaptations shape overall brain morphology is still unclear. Here, we test how two behavioural adaptations – circadian activity pattern and migratory behaviour – are reflected in the brains of moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera). We predicted that circadian activity pattern affects primary sensory regions, whereas migration impacts integrative centres. Using anti-synapsin immunostaining, we generated detailed 3D reconstructions of each species' brain and performed a phylogenetically corrected volumetric analysis. All lepidopteran brains, including early-diverging lineages, share a characteristic layout that differs... (More)

Animals live in diverse environments and have evolved to cope with environmental challenges in different ways. How such adaptations shape overall brain morphology is still unclear. Here, we test how two behavioural adaptations – circadian activity pattern and migratory behaviour – are reflected in the brains of moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera). We predicted that circadian activity pattern affects primary sensory regions, whereas migration impacts integrative centres. Using anti-synapsin immunostaining, we generated detailed 3D reconstructions of each species' brain and performed a phylogenetically corrected volumetric analysis. All lepidopteran brains, including early-diverging lineages, share a characteristic layout that differs from the caddisfly (Trichoptera) outgroup. Some brain regions proved highly evolvable - most notably, the anterior optic tubercle varied qualitatively among species. Most regions, however, differed quantitatively, with tissue volumes strongly shaped by phylogeny as well as behavioural traits. While activity pattern predominantly affected primary visual areas, migratory behaviour correlated with significant volume changes in the fan-shaped body, the accessory medulla and parts of the mushroom body. We also identified several small neuropils as evolutionary “hotspots”, showing rapid, lineage-specific expansion or reduction. Finally, positive and negative correlations among neuropil volumes reveal coordinated evolution in defined neuropil groups, suggesting functional linkages and constraints beyond anatomically related regions. These findings generate testable hypotheses about poorly studied brain areas and highlight diverse evolutionary dynamics across the lepidopteran phylogeny.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
Butterflies, Evolution, Immunohistochemistry, Insects, Moths, Neuroanatomy
in
Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:105025659050
ISSN
0340-7594
DOI
10.1007/s00359-025-01787-w
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.
id
3b484645-520c-4e16-8bea-ff7ca812a36b
date added to LUP
2026-01-09 16:35:04
date last changed
2026-01-09 17:01:54
@article{3b484645-520c-4e16-8bea-ff7ca812a36b,
  abstract     = {{<p>Animals live in diverse environments and have evolved to cope with environmental challenges in different ways. How such adaptations shape overall brain morphology is still unclear. Here, we test how two behavioural adaptations – circadian activity pattern and migratory behaviour – are reflected in the brains of moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera). We predicted that circadian activity pattern affects primary sensory regions, whereas migration impacts integrative centres. Using anti-synapsin immunostaining, we generated detailed 3D reconstructions of each species' brain and performed a phylogenetically corrected volumetric analysis. All lepidopteran brains, including early-diverging lineages, share a characteristic layout that differs from the caddisfly (Trichoptera) outgroup. Some brain regions proved highly evolvable - most notably, the anterior optic tubercle varied qualitatively among species. Most regions, however, differed quantitatively, with tissue volumes strongly shaped by phylogeny as well as behavioural traits. While activity pattern predominantly affected primary visual areas, migratory behaviour correlated with significant volume changes in the fan-shaped body, the accessory medulla and parts of the mushroom body. We also identified several small neuropils as evolutionary “hotspots”, showing rapid, lineage-specific expansion or reduction. Finally, positive and negative correlations among neuropil volumes reveal coordinated evolution in defined neuropil groups, suggesting functional linkages and constraints beyond anatomically related regions. These findings generate testable hypotheses about poorly studied brain areas and highlight diverse evolutionary dynamics across the lepidopteran phylogeny.</p>}},
  author       = {{Adden, Andrea and Garcia Dominguez, Susana and Kliem, Katharina and Kannan, Kavitha and Yuvaraj, Jothi Kumar and Raif, Tugce and Boronat-Garcia, Alejandra and Arganda, Sara and Talavera, Gerard and Kelber, Almut and Heinze, Stanley}},
  issn         = {{0340-7594}},
  keywords     = {{Butterflies; Evolution; Immunohistochemistry; Insects; Moths; Neuroanatomy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology}},
  title        = {{The evolution of lepidopteran brain morphology}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00359-025-01787-w}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00359-025-01787-w}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}