The genetics of phenotypic plasticity in adult abdominal colour pattern of Eristalis arbustorum (Diptera: Syrphidae)
1996
Ottenheim, M.M. | Volmer, A.D. | Holloway, G.J.
The abdominal colour pattern of Eristalis arbustorum is a plastic character which is heavily influenced by developmental temperature. The present study investigated the form of the reaction norms of amount of abdominal yellow and intensity of the yellow (measured as grey value) on pupal development temperature. The slope of the reaction norm for amount of yellow was steeper in males than in females. The reaction norms for grey value on temperature were nonlinear. Family groups were reared to enable a consideration of the genetics to be made. There were significant family by environment interactions for both characters for both sexes indicating genetic variance for plasticity. Pupal development time is closely correlated with developmental temperature. The relationship between amount of yellow on the abdomen and log pupal development time was curvilinear and fitted a guadratic function well. There was significant among-family variation in the slopes of these lines for females, but not for males, again suggesting genetic variation for plasticity. The results are discussed in relation to the maintenance of genetic variation.
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