Model-organism
Guides
Uloborus diversus
hackled orb-weaver, featherlegged orb-weaver
Uloborus diversus is a cribellate orb-weaving spider in the family Uloboridae. It inhabits desert regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico. The species is one of few North American spiders that lack venom glands, instead subduing prey through silk constriction. It has become an important model organism for studying the evolution of spidroins (spider silk proteins) and the neurobiology of orb-web construction behavior. A chromosome-level genome assembly has been completed to support this research.
Vanessa
Ladies and Related Admirals, Painted Ladies, Red Admirals
Vanessa is a genus of brush-footed butterflies (Nymphalidae) with near-global distribution. The genus includes conspicuous species such as the painted ladies (subgenus Cynthia) and red admirals. Members are known for mass migratory behavior, particularly in North American populations of Vanessa cardui. The genus has been extensively studied for wing pattern development and seasonal polyphenism.
Vanessa atalanta
Red Admiral, Red Admirable
A medium-sized migratory butterfly with distinctive black wings marked by orange-red bands and white spots. It is among the most widely distributed butterflies globally, found across temperate regions of North America, Europe, Asia, North Africa, and the Caribbean. The species exhibits complex migratory behavior, with populations moving northward in spring and southward in autumn to track seasonal host plant availability. Males are strongly territorial, establishing and defending perching sites in sunny woodland openings to secure mating opportunities.
Vanessa cardui
Painted Lady, Cosmopolitan
Vanessa cardui, commonly known as the painted lady, is one of the most widespread butterfly species globally, occurring on every continent except Antarctica and South America. This medium-sized nymphalid butterfly is renowned for its remarkable long-distance migratory behavior, with populations undertaking multi-generational journeys spanning up to 14,500 km between tropical Africa and the Arctic Circle. The species exhibits extreme polyphagy, with larvae recorded feeding on over 300 host plant species, primarily in the Asteraceae family. Migration patterns are highly variable and linked to rainfall patterns in wintering areas, with mass migrations occasionally involving billions of individuals.
Wyeomyia smithii
Pitcher-plant Mosquito, Pitcher Plant Mosquito
Wyeomyia smithii is a specialized mosquito that completes its entire pre-adult development within the water-filled pitchers of the purple pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea. It is a top predator in this unique microecosystem, where its presence directly influences bacterial species diversity. The species exhibits remarkable geographic variation in blood-feeding behavior: northern populations are entirely non-biting, while some southern populations may blood-feed after producing an initial egg batch. W. smithii has become a model organism for studying photoperiodism and rapid evolutionary response to climate change, with documented shifts in critical photoperiod over recent decades.