The inheritance of female colour polymorphism inIschnura genei(Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae),with observations on melanism under laboratory conditions
[EN] Current research on female colour polymorphism in Ischnura damselflies suggests that a balanced fitness trade-off between morphotypes contributes to the maintenance of polymorphism inside populations. The genetic inheritance system constitutes a key factor to understand morph fluctuation and fi...
| Autores: | , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2016 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universidad de León |
| Repositorio: | BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:buleria.unileon.es:10612/26715 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://peerj.com/articles/2380/ https://hdl.handle.net/10612/26715 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Biología Zoología Phenotype Fecundity Colour changes Reared generations Laboratory effects Odonata 2408.03 Insectos 2401.02 Comportamiento Animal 2413.03 Ecología de Los Insectos 2413.04 Morfología de Los Insectos |
| Sumario: | [EN] Current research on female colour polymorphism in Ischnura damselflies suggests that a balanced fitness trade-off between morphotypes contributes to the maintenance of polymorphism inside populations. The genetic inheritance system constitutes a key factor to understand morph fluctuation and fitness. Ischnura genei, an endemic species of some Mediterranean islands, has three female colour morphs, including one androchrome (male-coloured) and two gynochromes. In this study, we reared two generations of I. genei under laboratory conditions and tested male behavioural responses to female colour morphs in the field. We recorded ontogenetic colour changes and studied morph frequency in three populations from Sardinia (Italy). Morph frequencies of laboratory crosses can be explained by a model based on an autosomal locus with three alleles and sex-restricted expression, except for one crossing of 42 families with unexpected offspring. The allelic dominance relationship was androchrome > infuscans > aurantiaca. Old individuals reared in the laboratory exhibited different levels of melanism in variable extent depending on sex and morph. Results of model presentations indicate a male preference for gynochrome females and the lack of recognition of androchromes as potential mates. Aurantiaca females were the most frequent morph in the field (63–87%). Further studies in other populations and islands are needed to understand the maintenance of this polymorphism |
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