RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
A1 MARTÍN-VEGA, Daniel
A1 BAZ, Arturo
T1 Variation in the colour of the necrophagous fly, Prochyliza nigrimana (Diptera: Piophilidae): A case of seasonal polymorphism
JF EJE
YR 2011
VO 108
IS 2
SP 231
OP 234
DO 10.14411/eje.2011.031
UL https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-201102-0009.php
AB The occurrence of colour polymorphism in wild populations of the necrophagous fly Prochyliza nigrimana (Diptera: Piophilidae) is recorded but never treated in detail. The present paper shows that there is a seasonal distribution in the morphotypes, with the dark morphs emerging in spring and pale morphs emerging later and most abundant in summer. Furthermore, different proportions of each morph occur along altitudinal gradients, with dark morphs significantly more abundant at low altitudes, where mean temperatures are warmer than at high altitudes where the pale coloured morphs were more abundant. Explanations based on the adaptive value of thermal melanism are discussed.