What makes a happy face? Determinants of colour pattern in the Hawaiian happy face spider Theridion grallator (Araneae, Theridiidae)

Gillespie, Rosemary G.; Tabashnik, Bruce E.

doi:10.1038/hdy.1989.50

Cited by 23 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…These are known to have once been part of a single landmass (Greater Maui or Maui Nui) which split less than 300 000 years ago (Carson & Clague, 1995). This study represents a step towards elucidating the evolutionary and adaptive significance of this striking polymorphism and extends the previous genetical work of Gillespie & Tabashnik (1989).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Broods were checked weekly and males identified and removed when their swollen pedipalps became obvious in the penultimate instar. Colour morphs were scored at various stages because different patterns establish at different rates (Gillespie & Tabashnik, 1989).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The common, plain yellow opisthosomal morph [named 'unpatterned' by Gillespie & Tabashnik (1989) but here called Yellow] and 10 others from the Waikamoi population are shown in Plate 1. The names of the morphs and the abbreviations used for each are given in the legend.…”

Section: Description Of Morphsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has long, slender legs and an elongated, translucent yellow body with varying numbers of black spots and other marks. In some individuals, superimposed on the opisthosomal (abdominal) background, are patterns of red, black, and white, which yield a very large number of colour morphs (Gon, 1985;Gillespie & Tabashnik, 1989). Here we analyse the genetical control of the polymorphism in populations from two Hawaiian islands, Maui and Moloka'i.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The genetical control of colour polymorphisms has been little studied in spiders although the phenomenon is widespread (Gillespie & Tabashnik, 1989 and references therein). One of the most spectacular visible polymorphisms in this group is shown by Thendion grallator (Araneae: Theridiidae), the endemic Hawaiian happy-face spider.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Genetics of a colour polymorphism in Theridion grallator (Araneae: Theridiidae), the Hawaiian happy-face spider, from Greater Maui

Oxford

Gillespie

1996

Heredity

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Theridion grallator, the Hawaiian happy-face spider, a species endemic to four islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, exhibits an exuberant colour and pattern polymorphism involving both the carapace and opisthosoma (abdomen). Laboratory crosses and broods from wild-mated females demonstrate that the opisthosomal morphs on Maui (and probably on Moloka'i as well) act as if they are determined by alleles at one autosomal locus, although control by more than one linked locus cannot be eliminated. With the exception of the White morph, dominance results from the superimposition of one pattern on another. All morphs are found equally in males and females. Carapace morphs are also shown to be determined by alleles at one locus. The close association between particular carapace and opisthosomal patterns observed both in the field and in the laboratory is probably a result of linkage between loci rather than pleiotropic effects of alleles at one locus. A one-to-one matching of red-and blackpigmented areas on the opisthosoma with underlying guanine deposits, which produce a white backcloth against which the pigments are displayed, strongly suggests that the polymorphism in this species has evolved for its visual effects.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Description Of Morphsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Genetics of a colour polymorphism in Theridion grallator (Araneae: Theridiidae), the Hawaiian happy-face spider, from Greater Maui

Oxford

Gillespie

1996

Heredity

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From a comb to a tree: phylogenetic relationships of the comb-footed spiders (Araneae, Theridiidae) inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial genes

Arnedo

Coddington

Agnarsson

et al. 2004

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution

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138

171

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Maintaining a happy face: stable colour polymorphism in the spider Theiridion grallator (Araneae, Theridiidae)

Gillespie

Tabashnik

1990

Heredity

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Theridion grallator is a highly polymorphic spider endemic to the wet and mesic forests of the Hawaiian Islands. The frequencies of the two major morph classes, patterned and unpatterned abdomen, did not show significant spatial or temporal variation within undisturbed or disturbed areas on Maui. Similarly, morph frequencies did not vary significantly between undisturbed areas on three different islands. Estimates of spider migration suggest that gene flow is sufficient to account for the similarity in frequency within and between areas on Maui, but it is probably not sufficient to explain the similarity among islands. Fecundity did not differ between morphs. A significant inverse relationship between morph frequency and residence time in certain cases suggests that frequency-dependent selection, perhaps mediated by bird predation, may play a role in maintaining the polymorphism.

show abstract

What makes a happy face? Determinants of colour pattern in the Hawaiian happy face spider Theridion grallator (Araneae, Theridiidae)

Cited by 23 publications

References 16 publications

Genetics of a colour polymorphism in Theridion grallator (Araneae: Theridiidae), the Hawaiian happy-face spider, from Greater Maui

Genetics of a colour polymorphism in Theridion grallator (Araneae: Theridiidae), the Hawaiian happy-face spider, from Greater Maui

From a comb to a tree: phylogenetic relationships of the comb-footed spiders (Araneae, Theridiidae) inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial genes

Maintaining a happy face: stable colour polymorphism in the spider Theiridion grallator (Araneae, Theridiidae)

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