Genome size variation in lepidopteran insects

Little information is available on genome size diversity among insects, even in otherwise well-studied groups such as the Lepidoptera. In fact, only six lepidopteran species have been studied to date. The present study therefore represents the first attempt to survey genome size variation in this group, giving estimates for more than 50 species and increasing the coverage of the order to 15 families. Based on this expanded data set, some interesting patterns of variation can be observed, albeit only in a preliminary way. By providing the first large survey of lepidopteran genome sizes, as well as some methodological guidelines and highlights of interesting future work, it is hoped that this study will stimulate further analysis of this diverse group of insects.