Biology︱Oldřich Nedvěd Scientists join the

Adalia bipunctata typical form. Adalia bipunctata f. fasciatopunctata mimic. Oenopia shirkuhensis. dots between lady bipunctata, Oenopia conglobata and Oenopia shirkuhensis. Scientists refer to species by their full Latin names. The first name is the genus and it gives an in Iran indication that the species is genetically similar to other species with the same

Lady beetles are toxic to occinellidae, more commonly beetles that look more like each other are genus name than to species of different Left: O. conglobata model. Middle: O. conglobata predators and display a known as lady beetles, ladybugs, less likely to be eaten. This resemblance is genera. Of these three lady beetles, genitalia. Right: O. conglobata genitalia outer view. colourful warning - the perfect Cor ladybirds, are a well-known called mimicry. The two most commonly Oenopia conglobata and Oenopia example of aposematism. After family of beetles that are easy to described forms of mimicry are Batesian shirkuhensis are closely related. The tasting a bitter lady , recognise by their brightly coloured, and Müllerian. Batesian mimicry is when genus can be abbreviated as an initial. predators learn the colours dome-shaped bodies. Lady beetles can one harmless, tasty species resembles The second name is the species and can to avoid in future. As a result, range in colour from cream to dark red a chemically protected one. Müllerian be more descriptive. For example, Mehdi lady beetles of certain colour and can have few or many black spots on mimicry is when chemically protected Zare Khormizi named O. shirkuhensis patterns are less likely to be their wing covers (also called elytra). There species resemble each other. In both after the Shirkuh Mountain where it eaten. Copying successful are over 6000 known species of lady examples of mimicry, individuals of one was discovered. lady beetles helps to avoid beetle worldwide and there are hundreds species change their colour pattern predation. Professor Oldřich of unique colour patterns. However, some during evolution to resemble another. Polymorphic species can also have an Nedvěd from the University species are polymorphic, which means The original, constant species is called extra name that describes their colour of South Bohemia set out to individuals from the same species can a model. The changed species is called morph. In Iran, A. bipunctata has four investigate this phenomenon, have different colour patterns (also known a mimic. different morphs. The most common known as Müllerian mimicry, in as morphs). This is controlled by genetics morph is orange-red with two spots and the central mountains of Iran and is similar to the control of eye colour Mimicry, and the general evolution and is called A. bipunctata forma typica. and discovered a new species or hair colour in humans. ecology of lady beetle colouration, is of Forma means form (or morph) and can in the process. particular interest to Professor Oldřich be abbreviated, and typica describes Generally, lady beetles have a bright Nedvěd at the University of South the particular morph. The other morph colour which acts a warning known Bohemia. Professor Nedvěd has been can be orange-red with 14 spots as aposematism. This aposematic studying lady beetle biology for over thirty (f. fasciatopunctata). O. conglobata also has many colour forms, but the typical colour morph is pale pink with 16 spots Most of Adalia bipunctata in orchards and a narrow black stripe at the suture (the seam where the wing covers meet). in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province CHANGING SPOTS had a pink background and a narrow In orchards in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Iran, Professor Nedvěd and brown stripe at the suture like his colleagues studied the colouration Above: A new species (O. shirkuhensis) was the only Oenopia conglobata. of A. bipunctata and O. conglobata. species of lady beetle found at high elevation on the To do this, the scientists collected slopes of the Shirkhuh mountain. colouration signals to visual predators that years and has published multiple scientific multiple lady beetles from trees and lady beetles are protected by chemicals papers on the topic. Recently, Professor observed their colouration and other The scientists suggested the similarities surrounded by the mountains and are that make them toxic and distasteful. Nedvěd along with his colleagues, Amir minute morphological characters under can be explained by Müllerian mimicry, vulnerable to the same predators. This Birds and other predators that hunt using Biranvand, Mehdi Zare Khormizi and microscope. They found that most of the where O. conglobata is the model species environment provides the opportunities sight, then learn various distasteful colour Derya Şenal, have focused their research A. bipunctata f. fasciatopunctata they and A. bipunctata f. fasciatopunctata for selection of matching colours. In some patterns (such as red-and-black or yellow- of lady beetles in the mountains of Iran. collected had a pink background with a is the mimic. The mimic, A. bipunctata cases, groups of more than two similarly and-black patterns) and avoid them in the narrow brown stripe at the suture. Pink is f. fasciatopunctata did not change their coloured lady beetles can form Müllerian Adalia future. The quicker predators memorise NAMING SPECIES an unusual colour in beetles and is created spots, but added a suture stripe that is mimicry rings. However, this generally bipunctata this information, the fewer distasteful Professor Nedvěd and his colleagues by a having layer of red pigments over a not present in other morphs. The two occurs when the mimic and model species prey they will eat. With this in mind, lady studied three lady beetle species: Adalia white layer deeper in the elytra. species live in the same isolated orchards live in the same place.

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E: [email protected] T: +420 721784390 W: http://zoo.prf.jcu.cz/index.php/staff-item/ nedved-oldrich/?lang=en

Research Objectives References

Oldřich Nedvěd’s research is focused on the biology of Khormizi MZ, Nedvěd O. (2020). Oenopia shirkuhensis ladybirds. sp. nov. (Coleoptera, ) from Iran mimicking Adalia bipunctata. ZooKeys 915: 107–116. doi:10.3897/ zookeys.915.46390 Detail Nedvěd O, Biranvand A, Shakarami J, Senal D. (2020). Oldřich Nedvěd Potential Mullerian Mimicry between Adalia bipunctata University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science (Linneaus) and Oenopia conglobata (Linnaeus) and Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Iran. The Coleopterists Institute of Entomology Bulletin, 74(1): 161-167. https://doi.org/10.1649/0010- České Budějovice, Czech Republic 065X-74.1.161

Bio Personal Response Oldřich Nedvěd received his MSc. in Entomology from Charles University, Prague in 1989 and his PhD in Entomology at the Institute of Entomology, Czech What inspired you to study lady beetles? Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice in 1995. He When I entered Charles University in 1984, I met Dr became Associate Professor of Zoology, University of Ivo Hodek, who was a world-leading specialist on this South Bohemia, České Budějovice 2000 and Professor family of beetles, with contacts to many other specialists of Zoology 2020. worldwide. He wrote a book about ladybirds in 1973, which I liked very much and I wanted to study these In Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, O. conglobata is the model species and A. bipunctata is the mimic. However, in Yazd and Kerman province, A. bipunctata is the model species and the Oenopia genus is the mimic. beetles. He became my supervisor. Another teacher Funding who showed me ecology of these beetles in the field Grant agency of the Czech Republic, grant number 20- was Alois Honěk, and Ivo Kovář taught me DISCOVERING NEW SPECIES there were four known Oenopia when they became isolated on the 10003S of the group. The fact that these beetles are favourite In the diverse mountain habitats species in Iran. Besides the shape of Skirkuh mountain. ones of many people and that they are beneficial to of Yazd and Kerman provinces, genitalia, O. shirkuhensis can be also Collaborators agriculture played a smaller role. Iran, Professor Nedvěd and his separated from other Oenopia species BIDIRECTIONAL • Amir Biranvand, Mehdi Zare Khormizi and Derya Şenal. colleagues discovered and described by the orange-red colour of its elytra MÜLLERIAN MIMICRY Are there many other examples of bidirectional a new species of lady beetle: and its two rounded black spots. In Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Müllerian mimicry? O. shirkuhensis. This new species O. conglobata is the model species Mimicry usually has one species as model and was the only species of lady beetle Although the colour pattern of and A. bipunctata is the mimic. Here, another as mimic, and that is all. In the Capuchinbird, found at high elevation on the O. shirkuhensis is strikingly similar to A. bipunctata f. fasciatopunctata sexual mimicry appears to be bidirectional. Some adopted a pink background that is individuals of both sexes have been observed to not found elsewhere in the species. mimic the behaviour of the opposite sex at their lek. Professor Nedvěd and his colleagues However, in Yazd and Kerman province, There are numerous possible examples of interspecific A. bipunctata is the model species resemblance in song components and plumage among territorial birds. When two birds mimic each other’s discovered and described a new species and the Oenopia genus is the mimic. warning signals, ‘character convergence’ of phenotypes of lady beetle: Oenopia shirkuhensis Here, it is thought that O. conglobata should occur. In , wing patterns of the Heliconius increased red colouration and butterflies exhibit local convergence. resembling Adalia bipunctata. reduced its spots before geographic isolation led to the evolution of a new slopes of the Shirkhuh mountain. The the orange-red common form of A. species (O. shirkuhensis). Considered scientists took body measurements bipunctata f. typica, the placement together, Professor Nedvěd and his and photographs, and also dissected of the spots is identical to the colleagues suggest this is an example of the male genitalia from the beetles as largest spots on O. conglobata. The bidirectional Müllerian mimicry. The lady this is a reliable method of identifying scientists believe that O. shirkuhensis beetles take on the role of both mimic species. Up until this discovery, only evolved from O. conglobata and model in different provinces of Iran.

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