Field research of luminous beetles in China Yunnan

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The light of firefly fascinates both a heart of people and an interest of scientists. The luminescence beetles are a valuable research object for evolution and diversity of livings because these organisms are consisted by many species where lives in worldwide. The Coleoptera order is the richest group among Metazoa, but its phylogenetics remains incompletely understood. In this research, we proposed that the China Yunnan region was paid to attention as one candidate in firefly's root. We tried to do the field investigation of Chinese Yunnan between 2002 and 2005. In detailed of field era is as follows; 1) the surrounding of China Yunnan Kunming in September 2002, 2) the Yunnan Southwestern near Laotian in Jun 2004, 3) the Yunnan Shesarpanna near Myanmar in June 2004. Addition, we researched the luminous beetles on a surrounding of Brazil Sao Paulo in January 2004 in order to compare the luminous beetles in East Asia. In these area, we observed the environment condition and collected se … More veral species, and after came back to Japan, analyzed their characteristics about morphology, genetics and etc of them. As a result, we found and collected the valuable samples. For example, we collected the half aquatic fireflies that seemed that the related species of Japanese fireflies (Genji-botaru and Haike-botaru). These species could be a key sample to explore the biogeography from the non-aquatic, via half aquatic to aquatic fireflies in their diversity. We also found the luminous beetle Rhagophthalmus lufengensis (Arthropoda, Insecta, Coleoptera) which is similar species of Iriomote-botaru R. ohbai. Then, we determined the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences of two luminous beetles R. lufengensis and R. ohbai from Yaeyama Island, Japan. In a study of the evolutionary relationship among R. lufengensis, R. ohbai and the firefly Pyrocoelia rufa, the phylogenetic tree inferred from IrRNA genes from mitochondrial genomes indicates a biogeographic relationship among the bioluminescent insects in East Asia and the phylogenetic tree inferred from luciferase-related genes from nuclear genomes shows an appropriate relationship among coleopterans, reflecting the evolutionary origin of bioluminescence. Thus, the mtDNAs of luminescent beetles can provide an insight into their evolutionary origin and biogeography. Namely, In this research, we can open the key of door on evolutionally and biogeographically study of luminous beetles. Less