Article
Geographic variation of melanisation patterns in a hornet species: genetic differences, climatic pressures or aposematic constraints?
PloS one - 1 Jan 2014
Perrard Adrien, Arca Mariangela, Rome Quentin, Muller Franck, Tan Jiangli, Bista Sanjaya, Nugroho Hari, Baudoin Raymond, Baylac Michel, Silvain Jean-François, Carpenter James M, Villemant Claire
Abstract excerpt
Coloration of stinging insects is often based on contrasted patterns of light and black pigmentations as a warning signal to predators. However, in many social wasp species, geographic variation drastically modifies this signal through melanic polymorphism potentially driven by different selective pressures. To date, surprisingly little is known about the geographic variation of coloration of social wasps in...
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