Luc Legal

Paul Sabatier University - Toulouse III | UPS Toulouse · Laboratoire Ecologie fonctionnelle et Environnement - UMR 5245

The ripe fruit ofMorinda citrifolia, host plant forDrosophila sechellia is highly toxic for three closely related species (D. melanogaster, D. simulans, andD. mauritiana). Green and rotten fruits are not toxic for all species tested. Short fatty acids were found to be present in large quantities in the extract of the ripe fruit. The most abundant (...

Lepidoptera, an order of insects traditionally linked to the aerial habitat, are much more diverse in their living environment than the clichéd image we may have of them. The imago stage, which is the most visible in these insects, is not the one that has the most interaction with the environment (usually caterpillars) nor the one that lasts the lo...

The potential of secondary metabolites as systematic markers to get new insights in an intricate phylogeny of a recent evolutionary radiation is explored. A chemosystematic study of the genus Lupinus (Fabaceae) was performed, using quinolizidine (QA) and piperidine alkaloids (ammodendrine) as diagnostic characters. Seven major QA and the piperidine...

Intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES) are now recognized to support specific freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem services and represent approximately half of the global river network, a fraction that is likely to increase in the context of global changes. Despite large research efforts on IRES during the past few decades, there is a ne...

As an estuary being restored, the Scheldt (Belgium/The Netherlands) offers an interesting setting to study the response of organisms and ecosystems to changing conditions. In this regard, this study specifically deals with the spatio-temporal distribution and possible genetic differentiation among the species complex Eurytemora affinis (Copepoda, C...

Most evaluations of passive regeneration/natural succession or restoration have dealt with tropical rain forest or temperate ecosystems. Very few studies have examined the regeneration of tropical dry forests (TDF), one of the most damaged ecosystem types in the world. Owing to their species diversity and abundance, insects have been widely used as...

Dalla amatlanensis Warren, Gott & Legal, sp. nov., is described and illustrated from seven male specimens from the State of Morelos, Mexico. Its apparent larval foodplant is Chusquea circinata Soderstrom & Calderón, based on the observation of an ovipositing female. Based on wing phenotype and male genital morphology, this new species appears to be...

Unique opportunity to submit articles dealing with Central America Lepidopteras in a newly indexed open journal.

Fragmentation is the third cause of the biodiversity declination. Population genetic studies using Lepidoptera as the model species in the context of loss of habitat are scarce, particularly for tropical areas. We chose a widespread butterfly from Mexico as the model species to explore how changes of habitat characteristics (undisturbed forest, ant...

Invasive populations typically demonstrate genetic isolation which results in a loss of genetic diversity and a reduction in invasion success. This study focused on the genetic population of a successful invasive species of tarantula. Individuals were sampled in two mainland localities of the Yucatan Peninsula (Zoh-Laguna and Raudales), in addition...

Phytophagous insects have developed mechanisms of various complexity levels to utilize plants in spite of the barriers that plants have built to resist aggressions. Plant exploitation, the simplest level, is the use of plant defence chemicals for the benefit of insects. It is illustrated by the use of plant toxins for defence against predators. The...

Phytophagous insects have developed mechanisms of various complexity levels to utilize plants in spite of the barriers that plants have built to resist aggressions. Plant exploitation, the simplest level, is the use of plant defence chemicals for the benefit of insects. It is illustrated by the use of plant toxins for defence against predators. The...

Understanding how species functional traits relate to the delivery of ecosystem services is essential to support on-going biodiversity conservation efforts. While much recent work has been conducted, relatively few studies relating functional ecology to ecosystem services has utilized field experiments, particularly for animal species. We used a fu...

In at least 18 Lepidoptera families, caterpillars build shelters that mainly serve to regulate microclimate (humidity, temperature) and/or to avoid predation. We aimed to explore the function of the tubular structures built with the leaves of the host plant, Acacia cochliacantha Humboldt and Bonpland ex Willdenow (Fabaceae), by a lepidopteran endem...

The species Eunica tatila (Herrich-Schäffer) is present in the Neotropical region and comprises three subspecies. In Mexico, only one subspecies is reported: E. t. tatila (Herrich-Schäffer). The Yucatan Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, is located in a transitional geographical position, between southern Florida, the West Indies and Central Americ...

This comprehensive work provides insight into problems related to ecosystem fragmentation, health and well-being of high-altitude ecosystems, ecosystem services for food and medicine, and the issue of invasive alien species. This research has been collected by the world's most respected experts in climate change and ecology from Turkey, Pakistan, S...

The genus Lupinus L. belongs to the Family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae, and tribe Genistae. Lupinus comprises approximately 267 annual and perennial species of plants of different habits: herbs, shrubs, and trees, and the majority of them occurs in the New World, where there are two recognized diversification centers: North America (≈ 100 species...

Males of several palaearctic Syntomis/Amata species (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) possess androconial hairbrushes in connection with the foreleg coxa. The cuticular structure of these potentially behaviour-related and pheromone dissipating brushes is described. Such male-specific organs and signals play a crucial role in the female choice procedure. The...

Due to its relict nature, the unique Baroninae swallowtail, Baronia brevicornis, is considered a “living fossil”. It is also one of the most enigmatic butterfly species with contentious origins and peculiar ecological characteristics. The aim of this study is to evaluate the genetic diversity and population structure of this endemic species of butt...

As an estuary being restored, the Scheldt (Belgium/The Netherlands) offers an interesting setting to study the response of organisms and ecosystems to changing conditions. This study specifically deals with this with regard to the spatio-temporal distribution and possible genetic differentiation among the species complex Eurytemora affinis (copepod...

Baronia brevicornis Salvin (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) is one of the most enigmatic butterflies in the world and possibly represents the most ancient lineage among the superfamily Papilionoidea. Its geographic distribution is remote from that of all its potential close relatives and many of its biological and ecological characteristics are unique a...

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Résumé L a répartition et l'abondance des princi-pales populations des 6 espèces de Papilionidae de l'Aveyron sont présentées. Le bilan est mitigé avec des espèces très vulnérables (Parnassius apollo, Zerynthia polyxena cassan-dra et Parnassius mnemosyne) et d'autres stables, voire en expansion (Zerynthia rumina, Iphiclides podalirius et Papilio ma...

The taxonomy and systematics of Mexican Lupinus are lacking in resolution, because the taxa are distinguished using a few minor and inconsistent morphological characters. The use of molecular markers can contribute to re-solving such issues. In this study, we focused on two varieties of the Lupinus montanus complex (Fabaceae) in Mexico, L. montanus...

Tropical dry forests in Mexis suffer from a strong food resource scarcity during the dry season. Within some families of Lepidoptera such as Nymphalidae, few species can survive this season, foraging on decayed pulp fruits. This plays an important role in their nutritional and matting ecology during the contrasting dry-rainy season. this study aime...

Abstract Fire prevention management is becoming a necessity in many Mediterranean locations to regulate fire of natural or human origin. However, very few studies have determined the real effects of the strategies adopted on local fauna. Butterflies are sensitive to local changes and they can thus serve as indicators of environmental changes. Three...

Lupinus montanus subsp. montanus var. montanus Kunth is a widespread taxon occurring throughout the highlands of Central Mexico and Guatemala. Populations of this variety show little variation in plant morphology, but their highly disjunct islandlike distribution suggests that genetic differentiation between populations should be expected. To test...

Landscape fragmentation usually has a considerable effect on the genetic and demographic viability of most species because it reduces population size and increases isolation among populations. This situation provokes loss of genetic diversity and increased inbreeding that can lead to population or species extinctions. Some studies also show that la...

To analyze the impact of management choices on diversity in Pyrenean forests, we selected two ecological indicators: springtails; indicators of long-term responses to perturbation, and moths; which respond quickly to changes in their environment. Our data show that monoculture has a short-term impact on overall diversity and richness of species but...

Photographie illustrant une chrysalide du papillon Battus Polydamas.

Ce papillon mythique reste une énigme scientifique. Un article récent de Nazari et al., 2007 dans Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. date son origine à 70 millions d'années (soit la fin du Crétacé) repoussant toutes les limites connues de l'apparition des Rhopalocères (papillons de jour). La répartition de cette espèce est strictement réduite au Mexique et le...

Photographie illustrant la plante hôte du papillon Eurytide epidaus.

Photographie illustrant une chenille du papillon Battus Polydamas, prise dans l'état de Morelos au Mexique.

A field study was conducted to compare hourly captures by nocturnal adult female orb-web spiders (Eriophora edax) and the insect fauna collected at the same time, using a UV light trap. Predation of the spiders is related to the activity patterns of Lepidoptera, since this order of insects was the dominant prey type of E. edax. Also, E. edax showed...

Photographie illustrant le lieu de vie du papillon "papilio astyalus bajaensis", à la Sierra de Huautla, Cerro de Frio, 1250m. Mexique.

Photographie illustrant le 1er stade de la larve Parides Erithalion Trichopus sur une feuille d'Aristoloche (ou aristolochia) prise dans l'état du Morelos au Mexique.

Chenille du papillon Baronia Berviconis sur feuille d'acacia cochliacantha, leur arbre hôte.

Behavioural characters are still insufficiently used for inferring phylogenetic relationships in systematics. This study is aimed at analysing the possible interest of behavioural studies for resolving relationships in Cervids, a topic hotly debated for decades. Recent molecular studies seemed to be reaching a consensus, but these results are in co...

Lieu de vie du papillon Baronia Brevicornis à Morelos, Barranca Honda, 1100m.

Photographie illustrant un papillon de l'espèce Eurytides epidaus, prise dans l'état de Morelos au Mexique.

Photographie illustrant un papillon de l'espèce Parides Erithalion Trichopus prise dans l'état de Morelos au Mexique.

Photographie de la plante-nourricière Aristolochia Pringlei du Parides Montezuma, prise dans l'état de Morelos au Mexique.

Tropical dry forest, such as that found in Mexico, is a biome where very few alimentary resources are available during 6 months of the year. Within some families of Lepidoptera such as Nymphalidae, some species are known to survive the dry season as adults using the few decayed pulp fruits available as a food source. We compared the temporal abunda...

Photographie illustrant un papillon de l'espèce Eurytides philolaus prise dans l'état de Morelos au Mexique.

Photographie illustrant un papillon de l'espèce Mimoides thymbraeus.

Habitat loss and degradation in the Mexican Caribbean, caused by the development of tourism, have decreased the potential nesting area for the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) and have fragmented the populations of the Yucatan peninsula. Our study investigated five populations (three continental: North, South, Sian Ka’an, and two insular: Coz...

Bitter lupins (Lupinus spp.) are not used as a protein source because of their toxicity. However, they may have alternative uses as potential sources of natural insecticides. Quinolizidine alkaloids (QA) of three Mexican Lupinus species (Fabaceae): L. montanus (HBK), L. stipulatus (Agardh) and L. aschenbornii (Schauer), were analyzed by capillary G...

Although all species of the Brachypelma genus are protected under CITES, few studies have been performed on the genetic structure of the populations of these endangered tarantulas. Here we propose, for the first time in spiders, to use ISSR (Inter Simple Sequence Repeat) technique to study the genetic variability of Mexican populations of Brachypel...

Diarsia brunnea (Lepidoptera, Heterocera, Noctuidae, Denis and Schiffermuller, 1775) is an abundant oligophagous moth occurring in the French Pyrenees. No or little influence of the forest type was found on population densities. In order to study the genetic structure of two separate moth populations in a natural forest and in a plantation, genomic...

Studies on the ecology of orb spiders have focused on diurnal spiders, especially field studies. Nocturnal spiders, however, face different conditions due to the type of prey found at night. A field study was conducted to observe the activity of adult females of Eriophora edax in their natural environment, and to analyze their predation efficiency...

The ontogeny of the cuticular hydrocarbons of three dipterans of importance to forensic entomology, Calliphora vomitoria (Linné), Calliphora vicina (Robineau-Desvoidy) and Protophormia terraenovae (Robineau-Desvoidy) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), was explored using gas chromatography analysis. The stages examined ranged from eggs to 8-day-old adults. C...

Lieu de vie du papillon Baronia Brevicornis dans la Sierra de Huaulta, Morelos, 1200m.

Bitter lupins (Lupinusspp.) are not used as a protein source because of their toxicity. However, they may have alternative uses as potential sources of natural insecticides. Quinolizidine alkaloids (QA) of three Mexican Lupinus species (Fabaceae): L. montanus (HBK), L. stipulatus (Agardh) and L. aschenbornii (Schauer), were analyzed by capillary Ga...

Photographie illustrant un papillon de l'espèce Battus Polydamas, prise dans l'état de Morelos au Mexique.

In order to investigate the genetic diversity of Ligula intestinalis populations, nine inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were applied to populations from nine geographical areas around the world and 10 host species. The 110 loci selected from the ISSR patterns produced revealed high variability among the analysed samples, with a polymorph...

Photographie illustrant une chenille du papillon Parides Photinus sur une feuille d'Aristoloche (ou Aristolochia) prise dans l'état de Morelos, 1800m., au Mexique.

Chemically mediated communication is common in spiders but has been poorly studied in burrowing tarantulas. This study aimed to determine whether chemical cues influence the behaviour of females of Brachypelma vagans, a Mexican species of tarantula, during encounters with previously inhabited burrows or with extracts from the silk of conspecific fe...

Photographie illustrant le plus grand Papilio d'Amérique continentale : le Papilio garamas, très rare pour les collectionneurs. Ce papillon se trouve généralement dans les forêts humides d'altitude entre 1700 et 2500m environ.

Ce papillon mythique reste une énigme scientifique. Un article récent de Nazari et al., 2007 dans Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. date son origine à 70 millions d'années (soit la fin du Crétacé) repoussant toutes les limites connues de l'apparition des Rhopalocères (papillons de jour). La répartition de cette espèce est strictement réduite au Mexique et le...

Chenille du papillon Baronia Brevicornis sur une branche d'Acacia Cochliacantha.

Oeuf du papillon Baronia Brevicornis sur feuilles d'acacia cochliacantha

Parasite species with global distributions and complex life cycles offer a rare opportunity to study alternative mechanisms of speciation and evolution in a single model. Here, genealogy and genetic structure, with respect to geography and fish host preference, have been analyzed for Ligula intestinalis, a tapeworm affecting freshwater fish. The da...

The genus Erebia is one of the more controversial groups among the Holarctic Lepidoptera. In this genus, composed of around 100 mountain species, the Erebia tyndarus complex has certainly been a major source of debate for more than a century. According to the literature, between 2 and 11 species, and at least 45 subspecies or semi-species have been...

T his paper presents a review of the Ere-b i a t y n d a r u s s p e c i e s g r o u p (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) on a world level. For each of the 10 recognized species and 45 main subspecies, synonyms, type locali-ties and distribution ranges are presented. Some recent results are discussed, which lead us to con-sider the Pyrenean taxo...

Photographie illustrant un papillon de l'espèce Parides Photinus prise dans l'état de Morelos au Mexique.

We have compared the biodiversity variations in moth communities between unmanaged forests and commercial forests in a mountainous environment (Pyrenees France). The aim was to evaluate the impact of forestry activities on moth diversity. The data collected from the insects were analysed with a Bayesian specific similarity index (noted SSP index) a...

Photographie illustrant un papillon de l'espèce Parides Montezuma prise à la Sierra de Huelta, 1300m, dans l'état de Morelos au Mexique.

Cette photo illustre 3 chenilles du papillon Baronia Brevicornis logées dans un cocon de protection sur une branche de leur arbre hôte : l'Acacia Cochliacantha.

Cette photo illustre une chenille du papillon Baronia Brevicornis sur une branche d'acacia cochliacantha attaqué probablement par un insecte de la famille des Pentatomidae.

The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (L.) is considered as the most destructive pest of Brassicaceae crops world-wide. Its migratory capacities and development of insecticide resistance in many populations leads to more difficulties for population management. To control movement of populations and apparitions of resistance carried by res...

Cotesia plutellae is a specialist parasitoid of Plutella xylostella. This specificity is potentially under the control of several factors before and after oviposition. Thereby, the stimuli that lead female parasitoids to host locations and to oviposition, might be at the basis of the specificity. We explore here the response of C. plutellae females...

Cette photo illustre un trichogramme qui parasite un oeuf du papillon Baronia Berviconis pour y pondre à son tour.