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Warning coloration in sawflyAthalia rosae larva and concealing coloration in butterflyPieris rapae larva feeding on similar plants evolved through individual selection

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Researches on Population Ecology

Summary

Green larvae of the butterflyPieris rapae and black larvae of the sawflyAthalia rosae feed on green leaves of the same cruciferous plants. To demonstrate thatP. rapae has concealing coloration and thatA. rosae has warning coloration, the larvae of the two species were supplied to naive chicksGallus gallus on white, green or black backgrounds.P. rapae larvae were palatable and their green body color acted as a concealing coloration. On the other hand,A. rosae larvae were unpalatable and their black body color acted as a warning coloration.

There is a general consensus that warning coloration is an altruistic character which needs victims, and thus can evolve through kin selection or green beard selection. However, blackA. rosae larvae were seldom injured by chicks' attack, in particular, on the green background. Therefore, the warning coloration ofA. rosae larvae can be a selfish character and hence can evolve through individual selection as well as concealing coloration ofP. rapae.

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  1. Yoshitsugu Ohara

    Present address: Pesticide Research Institute, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University, 606-01, Kyoto, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University, 606-01, Kyoto, Japan

    Yoshitsugu Ohara, Koukichi Nagasaka & Naota Ohsaki

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  1. Yoshitsugu Ohara
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  2. Koukichi Nagasaka
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  3. Naota Ohsaki
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Ohara, Y., Nagasaka, K. & Ohsaki, N. Warning coloration in sawflyAthalia rosae larva and concealing coloration in butterflyPieris rapae larva feeding on similar plants evolved through individual selection. Res Popul Ecol 35, 223–230 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02513594

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