A single-cell atlas of alternative wing development in two hemipteran species

Insect wing polyphenism enables a single genome to produce distinct wing morphs in response to environmental cues, yet its underlying cellular determinants remain elusive. Here, we perform single-cell RNA sequencing of long-winged- and short-winged-destined wing buds of Pyrrhocoris apterus and Nilaparvata lugens, identifying six conserved cell types with comparable proportions between the two morphs. RNA interference-mediated silencing of 51 marker genes indicates that wing-patterning genes En (epithelial-like cells) and bs (tracheal cells), and cell-cycle genes Anln, CycB3, and cdk1 (neuron cells), are essential for long-winged development, among which En exhibits a specific temporal requirement. Flow cytometry analysis shows that long-winged formation mainly relies on an extended duration of cell proliferation. Cross-species comparisons indicate shared wing cell identities. Our findings indicate that hemipteran short-winged morphs may evolve from ancestral long-winged forms via precise regulation of wing-patterning and cell-cycle gene expression in epithelial‑like, tracheal, and neuron cells. This provides insights into the developmental plasticity of insect tissues at single‑cell resolution. Insect wing polyphenism allows a single genome to generate alternative wing morphs in response to environmental cues. Here, the authors identify shared cell types in two hemipteran species and show that long-wing development relies on specific epithelial, tracheal, and neuronal genes, while short-winged forms evolve by fine-tuning cell proliferation.