Seasonal polyphenism in body size and juvenile development of the swallowtail butterfly Papilio xuthus (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae)

European Journal of Entomology

Teiji SOTA¹  Shinya KOMATA² 

[1] e-mails: [e-mail], [e-mail];Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwakecho, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan;

关键词: lepidoptera;    papilionidae;    papilio xuthus;    seasonal polyphenism;    body size variation;    adaptive growth decision;    protandry;    temperature-size rule;    time constraint;   

DOI  :  10.14411/eje.2017.046

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Seasonal polyphenism in adults may be a season-specific adaptation of the adult stage and/or a by-product of adaptive plasticity of the juvenile stages. The swallowtail butterfly Papilio xuthus L. exhibits seasonal polyphenism controlled by photoperiod. Adults emerging in spring from pupae that spend winter in diapause have smaller bodies than adults emerging in summer from pupae that do not undergo diapause. Pupal diapause is induced by short-day conditions typical of autumn. To explore the interactive effects of temperature and developmental pathways on the variation in adult body size in P. xuthus, we reared larvae at two temperatures (20°C, 25°C) under two photoperiods (12L : 12D and 16L : 8D). Pupal weight and adult forewing length were greater in the generation that did not undergo diapause and were greater at 25°C than at 20°C. Thus, body size differences were greatest between the individuals that were reared at the longer day length and higher temperature and did not undergo diapause and those that were reared at the shorter day length and lower temperature and did undergo diapause. Unlike in other Lepidoptera, larvae of individuals that undergo diapause had shorter developmental times and higher growth rates than those that did not undergo diapause. This developmental plasticity may enable this butterfly to cope with the unpredictable length of the growing season prior to the onset of winter. Our results indicate that there are unexplored variations in the life history strategy of multivoltine Lepidoptera.

【 授权许可】

Unknown