LepEU : A Consortium to Study the Population Genomics of Butterflies and Moths Across Europe
Abstract
LepEU, the European Lepidopteran Population Genomics Consortium, was launched in 2023 to coordinate continental-scale collections and generate population-level genomic data for butterflies and moths across Europe. Its whole-genome resequencing strategy takes advantage of the growing availability of reference genomes for Lepidoptera. LepEU supports scalable, standardized sampling and sequencing to quantify genetic diversity and population resilience. These data will allow addressing long-standing questions about geographic patterns of biodiversity in this iconic clade for evolutionary ecology, while also filling critical gaps in biodiversity monitoring and conservation. The consortium's first in-person workshop was held in Montpellier (France) in 2025 and was supported by the COST Action 10kLepGenomes. It gathered 23 researchers from 10 countries, including experts in Lepidoptera ecology, evolution, and population genomics. Building on 2 years of video conferencing, the workshop enabled participants to draw a roadmap for trans-continental standardized sampling, isolate DNA of specimens collected during 2024, outline key research questions for LepEU, and discuss an outreach strategy to engage additional stakeholders. LepEU is coordinating with other international networks and consortia to develop a collaborative platform for tracking European lepidopteran biodiversity and evolution. Looking ahead, LepEU is focused on training and mentoring the next generation of scientists, empowering them to integrate genomic analyses with phenotypic and ecological data to address ecological, evolutionary, and conservation questions.
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BibTeX
@article{beldade2026lepeu,
title = {{LepEU : A Consortium to Study the Population Genomics of Butterflies and Moths Across Europe}},
author = {Patrícia Beldade and Marta Vila and Saad Arif and Audrey Bourgois and Jon Bridle and Laurence Després and Marianne Elias and Marianne Espeland and Zdenek F Fric and Pável Matos‐maraví and Kiwoong Nam and Riccardo Poloni and Mar Repullés and Marjo Saastamoinen and Rachel A Steward and Kalle Tunström and Başak Ulaşli and Teo Valentino and Arne Weinhold and Martin Wiemers and Richard I Bailey and Mark Blaxter and Vlad Dincă and Kay Lucek and Joana I Meier and Matthew E Nielsen and Constantí Stefanescu and Charlotte J Wright and Mathieu Joron and Christopher W Wheat},
journal = {Evolutionary Applications},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1111/eva.70246},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05849633v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - LepEU : A Consortium to Study the Population Genomics of Butterflies and Moths Across Europe
AU - Patrícia Beldade
AU - Marta Vila
AU - Saad Arif
AU - Audrey Bourgois
AU - Jon Bridle
AU - Laurence Després
AU - Marianne Elias
AU - Marianne Espeland
AU - Zdenek F Fric
AU - Pável Matos‐maraví
AU - Kiwoong Nam
AU - Riccardo Poloni
AU - Mar Repullés
AU - Marjo Saastamoinen
AU - Rachel A Steward
AU - Kalle Tunström
AU - Başak Ulaşli
AU - Teo Valentino
AU - Arne Weinhold
AU - Martin Wiemers
AU - Richard I Bailey
AU - Mark Blaxter
AU - Vlad Dincă
AU - Kay Lucek
AU - Joana I Meier
AU - Matthew E Nielsen
AU - Constantí Stefanescu
AU - Charlotte J Wright
AU - Mathieu Joron
AU - Christopher W Wheat
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/03
JO - Evolutionary Applications
DO - 10.1111/eva.70246
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05849633v1
AB - LepEU, the European Lepidopteran Population Genomics Consortium, was launched in 2023 to coordinate continental-scale collections and generate population-level genomic data for butterflies and moths across Europe. Its whole-genome resequencing strategy takes advantage of the growing availability of reference genomes for Lepidoptera. LepEU supports scalable, standardized sampling and sequencing to quantify genetic diversity and population resilience. These data will allow addressing long-standing questions about geographic patterns of biodiversity in this iconic clade for evolutionary ecology, while also filling critical gaps in biodiversity monitoring and conservation. The consortium's first in-person workshop was held in Montpellier (France) in 2025 and was supported by the COST Action 10kLepGenomes. It gathered 23 researchers from 10 countries, including experts in Lepidoptera ecology, evolution, and population genomics. Building on 2 years of video conferencing, the workshop enabled participants to draw a roadmap for trans-continental standardized sampling, isolate DNA of specimens collected during 2024, outline key research questions for LepEU, and discuss an outreach strategy to engage additional stakeholders. LepEU is coordinating with other international networks and consortia to develop a collaborative platform for tracking European lepidopteran biodiversity and evolution. Looking ahead, LepEU is focused on training and mentoring the next generation of scientists, empowering them to integrate genomic analyses with phenotypic and ecological data to address ecological, evolutionary, and conservation questions.
SN - 1752-4563
SN - 1752-4571
ER -