Speciation, Phylogenetics and Taxonomy of Lepidoptera

Dear Colleagues,

Lepidoptera are among the most popular model groups in biology and routinely appear in studies of hybridization, sympatric and cryptic speciation, population genomics, chromosome evolution, ecological specialization and conservation genetics. Even though part of this popularity maybe due to their aesthetic appeal, the fact is that Lepidoptera are excellent model organisms in biological studies, as well as efficient and effective bioindicators of habitat health and climate change, often outperforming other animal groups. Even though they are among the best studied insect groups, new species of Lepidoptera continue to be discovered and described every year. Genomic studies continue to shed light on the speciation and evolution of this fascinating group of insects, and yet their taxonomy is still riddled with cases of uncertainty: on the one hand, some deep phylogenetic relationships among Lepidoptera groups are still shrouded in mystery, and on the other, taxonomic ranking is often disputed in geologically young species complexes with limited phenotypic or genetic differentiation, or where geographical clines, hybridization, and sympatric or cryptic speciation are involved. 

In this Special Issue, we aim to highlight studies that employ a multidisciplinary approach to obtain robust outcomes that inform the refinement of traditional taxonomic arrangements in various groups of Lepidoptera. We will focus on mechanisms of speciation, and the mutual contribution of classical (morphological) taxonomy and modern evolutionary methods (phylogenetics). We invite submissions of either review or original research articles that may cover a specific or broad range of species or genetic approaches, but that focus on how genetic/genomic information is (or could be) used to shed light on the speciation and taxonomy of Lepidoptera. Papers that employ novel methodologies to uncover such evolutionary patterns are particularly welcome. Manuscripts must contain original, previously unpublished data.

Dr. Vazrick Nazari
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.