Evolution of Photoperiodic Time Measurement in the Pitcher- Plant Mosquito

小行星9513834 许多生物利用白天的长短来调节它们的季节性发育。 在短日照（冬季）的影响下，捕蚊植物进入休眠，在长日照（夏季）的影响下，捕蚊植物终止或避免休眠。这种蚊子以前是热带蚊子，通过改变其休眠和发育模式来适应北美的气候梯度。 在北方或高海拔地区，冬天比低纬度或低海拔地区来得早，春天来得晚。 同时，北方或高山种群的蚊子进入并保持在休眠期的影响下，较长的天比南方或低地种群的蚊子。 热带蚊子要入侵温带地区，不仅需要有能力抵御更严酷的冬季，而且还需要有能力改变它们的季节性发育，使之与逐渐缩短的北方生长季节相吻合。 因此，携带疾病的蚊子，如亚洲虎蚊，在入侵北美的过程中，必须提高它们对寒冷的耐受性，并修改它们的季节性程序。猪笼草蚊子提供了已经适应了从佛罗里达到加拿大的北美气候的种群。 在这项研究中，我们询问蚊子的内部生物钟和该生物钟的遗传组织如何使它们能够适应更多的北方和高山季节。 与许多蚊子不同，猪笼草蚊子不需要血液来繁殖。这种特性使其成为研究以前的热带蚊子如何适应更温和的气候而不需要使用动物宿主作为血液来源的理想模型系统。 此外，这项研究将提供信息，将增加我们的理解的光周期时间测量的演变-一个过程中的许多生物体的关键。

9513834 Bradshaw Many organisms use the length of day to regulate their seasonal development. The pitcher-plant mosquito enters dormancy under the influence of short (Winter) daylengths and terminates or avoids dormancy under the influence of long (Summer) daylengths. This mosquito is a formerly tropical mosquito that has adapted to the climatic gradient of North America by altering its pattern of dormancy and development. In the north, or at high elevation, Winter arrives earlier and Spring arrives later than at lower latitudes or altitudes. Concomitantly, northern or alpine populations of the mosquito enter and remain in dormancy under the influence of longer days than mosquitoes for southern or lowland populations. Invasion of temperate latitudes by tropical mosquitoes requires not only the ability to withstand the harsher winter but also the ability to modify their seasonal development to coincide with progressively shorter northern growing seasons. Thus, disease-carrying mosquitoes, such as the Asian tiger mosquito, that are in the process of invading North America, must both increase their tolerance of cold and modify their seasonal program. The pitcher-plant mosquito provides established populations that have already adapted to the climate of North America from Florida to Canada. In this research, we ask how the mosquito's internal biological clock and genetic organization of that clock have enabled them to adapt to more northern and alpine seasons. Unlike many mosquitoes, the pitcher-plant mosquito does not require blood for reproduction. This trait, makes it an ideal model system for investigating how a formerly tropical mosquito has adapted to more temperate climates while not requiring the use of animal hosts for a blood source. Furthermore, this study will provide information that will increase our understanding of the evolution of photoperiodic time measurement - a process critical to a great many number of organisms.