Jeong In-Won, Kim Sora, Heppner John B
Laboratory of Insect Phylogenetics and Evolution, Department of Plant Protection & Quarantine, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea.
Department of Agricultural Convergence Technology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea.
Insects. 2025 Jul 22;16(8):747. doi: 10.3390/insects16080747.
Insects exhibit diverse ecological characteristics, but species identification is challenging due to high morphological similarity. Traditional methods require genitalia dissection, which damages specimens and flattens three-dimensional structures, potentially losing key morphological details. In this study, we evaluate the utility of Micro-CT (Computed Tomography) as a non-destructive alternative for species identification by comparing genitalia structures obtained through Micro-CT with those obtained through traditional dissection. Micro-CT enabled three-dimensional reconstructions of male genitalia and aedeagus, providing detailed views from multiple angles without physical damage. The aedeagus was also virtually separated in a digital environment, further enhancing morphological analysis. Using this approach, we identified three new species, from Sumatra, and from Taiwan, based on genitalia characteristics. In addition, we provide a checklist of all Walker, 1863 species reported to date, including these newly described species, to confirm and clarify the distribution of this genus. Our results demonstrate that the additional use of Micro-CT in insect species identification can provide a scientific basis for reviewing and increasing confidence in species identification based on genital dissection.
昆虫表现出多样的生态特征，但由于形态高度相似，物种鉴定具有挑战性。传统方法需要解剖生殖器，这会损坏标本并使三维结构变平，可能会丢失关键的形态细节。在本研究中，我们通过比较通过显微CT获得的生殖器结构与通过传统解剖获得的生殖器结构，评估显微CT（计算机断层扫描）作为物种鉴定的非破坏性替代方法的效用。显微CT能够对雄性生殖器和阳茎进行三维重建，从多个角度提供详细视图而不会造成物理损伤。阳茎在数字环境中也能被虚拟分离，进一步增强了形态分析。使用这种方法，我们根据生殖器特征鉴定出了三个新物种，分别来自苏门答腊岛，以及来自台湾。此外，我们提供了截至目前已报道的所有沃克1863种物种的清单，包括这些新描述的物种，以确认和阐明该属的分布。我们的结果表明，在昆虫物种鉴定中额外使用显微CT可为基于生殖器解剖的物种鉴定审查和增强信心提供科学依据。
