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Effect of melanism of alpine Colias nastes butterflies (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) on activity and predation1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2012

Jens Roland
Jens Roland
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9 (e-mail: [email protected])
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Abstract

Melanism in the sulphur butterfly Colias nastes Boisduval was quantified and related to their ability to remain active under cool or cloudy conditions and to their risk of predation. Darker individuals were more active, moved greater distances, and disappeared from the population at a greater rate. Disappearance of darker individuals was not due to greater predation. Light-coloured individuals suffered greater predation than dark individuals, but only at higher elevations. The broad geographical pattern of increased melanism in Arctic and alpine Colias butterflies is likely a response to the consistent pattern of cooler temperatures in these habitats rather than local variation in predation pressure.

Résumé

L'importance du mélanisme chez des coliades verdâtres, Colias nastes Boisduval, a pu être mise en relation respectivement avec leur capacité de demeurer actifs dans des conditions fraîches ou nuageuses et avec leur risque de prédation. Les individus plus foncés sont plus actifs, ils se déplacent sur de plus grandes distances et ils disparaissent de la population à un rythme plus élevé. La disparation des individus plus foncés n'est pas due à une prédation accrue. Les individus plus clairs subissent une prédation plus grande que les individus plus foncés, mais seulement aux altitudes plus élevées. Les grands patrons géographiques d'augmentation du mélanisme chez les papillons Colias arctiques et alpins sont vraisemblablement des réactions aux patrons uniformes de températures plus froides dans ces habitats plutôt qu'à la variation locale de la pression de prédation.

[Traduit par la Rédaction]

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 138 , Issue 1: Adaptations and Constraints: a Symposium in Honour of Richard Ring / Adaptations et contraintes : un symposium en l'honneur de Richard Ring , February 2006 , pp. 52 - 58
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 2006

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