Significance of colour polymorphism in mountain populations of abundant leaf beetles (&lt;i&gt;Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae&lt;/i&gt;)

Mikhailov, Yu. E.

doi:10.3989/pirineos.2001.v156.80

Cited by 22 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…The extent of atmospheric pollution, by absorbing radiation, and non-prescribed habitat effects, may also influence the proportions of colour polymorphs present in the population (Scali & Creed, 1975;Boucelham & Raatikainen, 1987 ;Boucelham, Hokkanen & Raatikainen, 1988). It has been suggested that among phytophagous chrysomelid beetle species, feeding on exposed leaf surfaces in mountainous areas of Europe, Russia and Japan, differences in metallic colouration may relate directly to UV exposure (Fujiyama, 1979 ;Mikhailov, 2001). Species, such as Oreina sulcata, for example, which is normally green at low elevations, show significantly increased percentages of darker and more reflective metallic morphs at higher elevations across a broad geographical area, leading to the suggestion that such species might serve as indicators of enhanced UV radiation input (Mikhailov, 2001).…”

Section: Direct Altitudinal Effects On Insect Species (1 ) Wing mentioning

confidence: 99%

Terrestrial insects along elevation gradients: species and community responses to altitude

2005

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The literature on the response of insect species to the changing environments experienced along altitudinal gradients is diverse and widely dispersed. There is a growing awareness that such responses may serve as analogues for climate warming effects occurring at a particular fixed altitude or latitude over time. This review seeks, therefore, to synthesise information on the responses of insects and allied groups to increasing altitude and provide a platform for future research. It focuses on those functional aspects of insect biology that show positive or negative reaction to altitudinal changes but avoids emphasising adaptation to high altitude per se. Reactions can be direct, with insect characteristics or performance responding to changing environmental parameters, or they can be indirect and mediated through the insect's interaction with other organisms. These organisms include the host plant in the case of herbivorous insects, and also competitor species, specific parasitoids, predators and pathogens. The manner in which these various factors individually and collectively influence the morphology, behaviour, ecophysiology, growth and development, survival, reproduction, and spatial distribution of insect species is considered in detail. Resultant patterns in the abundance of individual species populations and of community species richness are examined. Attempts are made throughout to provide mechanistic explanations of trends and to place each topic, where appropriate, into the broader theoretical context by appropriate reference to key literature. The paper concludes by considering how montane insect species will respond to climate warming.

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Section: Direct Altitudinal Effects On Insect Species (1 ) Wing mentioning

confidence: 99%

Terrestrial insects along elevation gradients: species and community responses to altitude

2005

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“…By contrast, other studies suggest that reticulation changes (Drotz et al 2010) or thin patches (Slifer 1953) can be considered adaptations capable of controlling body temperature and thus affecting environmental performance. Cuticle darkness has also been associated with body temperature (Gross et al 2004;Clusella Trullas et al 2007;Schweiger and Beierkuhnlein 2016), management of UV radiation (Mikhailov 2001), climatic changes (Davis et al 2008;Zeuss et al 2014), and immune response (Dubovskiy et al 2013). Cold environmental conditions would promote the production of melanin in ectothermic species, being that this process is related to the key role of the enzyme phenoloxidase in both melanization and immune defense (the temperature-dependent immune physiological mechanism; see Fedorka et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beetle Exoskeleton May Facilitate Body Heat Acting Differentially across the Electromagnetic Spectrum

Carrascal

Jiménez-Ruíz

Lobo

2017

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

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Exoskeletons of beetles and their associated morphological characteristics can serve many different functions, including thermoregulation. We study the thermal role of the exoskeleton in 13 Geotrupidae dung beetle species using heating experiments under controlled conditions. The main purpose was to measure the influence of heating sources (solar radiance vs. infrared), animal position (dorsal exposure vs. ventral exposure), species identity, and phylogenetic relationships on internal asymptotic temperatures and heating rates. The thermal response was significantly influenced by phylogenetic relatedness, although it was not affected by the apterous condition. The asymptotic internal temperature of specimens was not affected by the thoracic volume but was significantly higher under simulated sunlight conditions than under infrared radiation and when exposed dorsally as opposed to ventrally. There was thus a significant interaction between heating source and body position. Heating rate was negatively and significantly influenced by thoracic volume, and, although insignificantly slower under simulated sunlight, it was significantly affected by body position, being faster under dorsal exposure. The results constitute the first evidence supporting the hypothesis that the beetle exoskeleton acts differentially across the electromagnetic spectrum determining internal body temperatures. This interesting finding suggests the existence of a kind of passive physiology imposed by the exoskeleton and body size, where interspecific relationships play a minor role.

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“…Halkka et al 1980; Guerrucci and Voisin 1988) or compare the extremes of altitude (Rajpurohit et al 2008; Karl et al 2010). Others are studies of extreme habitats, such as alpine, arctic, or subAntarctic habitats (Roland 1978; Mikhailov 2001; Davies et al 2007). In this paper, differences in melanism in temperate grasshoppers collected from several sitesalong replicated gradients are described.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Test of the Thermal Melanism Hypothesis in the Wingless GrasshopperPhaulacridium vittatum

Harris

McQuillan

Hughes

2013

Journal of Insect Science

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Altitudinal clines in melanism are generally assumed to reflect the fitness benefits resulting from thermal differences between colour morphs, yet differences in thermal quality are not always discernible. The intra-specific application of the thermal melanism hypothesis was tested in the wingless grasshopper Phaulacridium vittatum (Sjöstedt) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) first by measuring the thermal properties of the different colour morphs in the laboratory, and second by testing for differences in average reflectance and spectral characteristics of populations along 14 altitudinal gradients. Correlations between reflectance, body size, and climatic variables were also tested to investigate the underlying causes of clines in melanism. Melanism in P. vittatum represents a gradation in colour rather than distinct colour morphs, with reflectance ranging from 2.49 to 5.65%. In unstriped grasshoppers, darker morphs warmed more rapidly than lighter morphs and reached a higher maximum temperature (lower temperature excess). In contrast, significant differences in thermal quality were not found between the colour morphs of striped grasshoppers. In support of the thermal melanism hypothesis, grasshoppers were, on average, darker at higher altitudes, there were differences in the spectral properties of brightness and chroma between high and low altitudes, and temperature variables were significant influences on the average reflectance of female grasshoppers. However, altitudinal gradients do not represent predictable variation in temperature, and the relationship between melanism and altitude was not consistent across all gradients. Grasshoppers generally became darker at altitudes above 800 m a.s.l., but on several gradients reflectance declined with altitude and then increased at the highest altitude.

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Significance of colour polymorphism in mountain populations of abundant leaf beetles (<i>Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae</i>)

Cited by 22 publications

References 0 publications

Terrestrial insects along elevation gradients: species and community responses to altitude

Terrestrial insects along elevation gradients: species and community responses to altitude

Beetle Exoskeleton May Facilitate Body Heat Acting Differentially across the Electromagnetic Spectrum

A Test of the Thermal Melanism Hypothesis in the Wingless GrasshopperPhaulacridium vittatum

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