| 1. |
- Gibbs, Melanie, et al.
(författare)
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Phenotypic plasticity in butterfly morphology in response to weather conditions during development
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Zoology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0952-8369 .- 1469-7998. ; 283:3, s. 162-168
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In seasonal environments, phenotypic plasticity in response to gradual changes in environmental variables may result in the production of discrete seasonal morphs. Production of the appropriate seasonal morph at the correct time relies on individuals interpreting environmental cues during their development. The speckled wood butterfly Pararge aegeria (L.) has previously been shown to have developmental and phenotypic plasticity across seasons and space (habitats). Here, we examine the developmental sensitivity of different seasonal cohorts of female P. aegeria to changes in local weather conditions over time (1989–1999) and determine how such temporal climatic variation affects adult phenotype development. We observed trait- and cohort-specific changes of adult phenotype development in response to local temporal changes in temperature and rainfall levels. We discuss our findings using current life-history theory and consider the potential for changes in local weather conditions to influence population variability in butterfly morphology and performance
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| 2. |
- Gibbs, Melanie, et al.
(författare)
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Reproductive placticity, ovarian dynamics and maternal effects in response to temperature and flight in Pararge aegeria
- 2010
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Ingår i: Journal of insect physiology. - : Elsevier. - 0022-1910 .- 1879-1611. ; 56:9, s. 1275-1283
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In nature, ovipositing females may be subjected to multiple extrinsic and intrinsic environmental factors simultaneously. To adequately assess a species response to environmental conditions during oviposition it may therefore be necessary to consider the interaction between multiple intrinsic and extrinsic factors simultaneously. Using the butterfly, Pararge aegeria, this study examined the combined effects of extrinsic (temperature and flight) and intrinsic (body mass and age) factors on ovarian dynamics, egg provisioning and reproductive output, and explored how these effects subsequently influenced offspring fitness when egg-stage development occurred in a low humidity environment. Both temperature- and flight- mediated plasticity in female reproductive output was observed, and there were strong temperature by flight interaction effects for the traits oocyte size and egg mass. As females aged, mean daily fecundity differed across temperature treatments, but not across flight treatments. Overall, temperature had more pronounced effects on ovarian dynamics than flight. Flight mainly influenced egg mass via changes in relative water content. A mismatch between the physiological response of females to high temperature and the requirements of their offspring had a negative impact on offspring fitness via effects on egg hatching success.
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| 3. |
- Gibbs, Melanie, et al.
(författare)
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Temperature, rainfall and butterfly morphology : does life history theory match the observed pattern?
- 2011
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Ingår i: Ecography. - : Wiley. - 0906-7590 .- 1600-0587. ; 34:2, s. 336-344
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Butterfly distribution and abundance is known to be influenced by temperature and rainfall. What is not clear, however, is how life history and flight morphological traits are affected by changes in local weather conditions. During the period 1989-1999, we explored the effects of ambient temperature and rainfall during larval development on adult phenotypic traits (body mass, forewing loading, forewing surface area and forewing length) in a Swedish population of the speckled wood butterfly Pararge aegeria. As different seasonal cohorts correspond to different developmental pathways (larval hibernating, pupal hibernating and directly developing), we analysed these morphological time series relative to developmental pathway. Phenotypic variation in response to the temperature and rainfall levels experienced during larval development differed in both magnitude and direction depending on the developmental pathway, and hence seasonal cohort, examined (i.e. there was a pathway-specific response). We suggest that through its developmental flexibility P. aegeria may be able to adjust to variation in weather conditions over time. Other less flexible species, however, may not be so fortunately buffered. To truly estimate the impact of climate change on biodiversity more fine-scale, local studies are required that examine the mechanisms underlying the response of species to climate change.
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| 4. |
- Karlsson, Bengt, 1958-, et al.
(författare)
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Evolutionary ecology of butterfly fecundity
- 2009. - 1
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Ingår i: Ecology of butterflies in Europe. - Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. - 9780521766975 - 9780521747592 ; , s. 189-197
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)
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| 5. |
- Norberg, Ulf
(författare)
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Evolution of Dispersal and Habitat Exploration in Butterflies
- 2002
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The development of wings may be one of the most important reasons for the great diversity among insects. Being able to move makes it possible to colonise new areas and explore resources in the surroundings. However, developing dispersal-related traits, like wings or flight muscles, is costly and moving can also be dangerous. One should therefore expect an increased selection against dispersal when moving is less advantageous. Dispersal may be favoured in a fragmented habitat of a metapopulation, but there could at the same time be a selection against dispersal within subpopulations. Following increased habitat fragmentation, selection against dispersal may temporarily become intensified, leading to an increased extinction risk (Paper I). Genetic variation could thus pose a threat to metapopulation persistence. Investigating Melitaea cinxia on Öland, we found both spatial and temporal variation in flight morphology (Paper II). This could indicateadaptations in flight design to the landscape structure. However, females and males varied differently and it is unclear to what extent the variation reects adaptations to the need to disperse between sites. In an outdoor cage experiment, we found that Euphydryas aurinia, M. cinxia and M. athalia were much less willing to move through shade than three other,very common butter ies (Clossiana euphrosyne, Brenthis ino and Aphantopus hyperantus) (Paper III). Among the melitaeines, M. athalia moved most frequently through the shade while E. aurinia and M. cinxia moved at lower rates. In another cage experiment, we investigated the tendency of forest-living butterflies (Lopinga achine and Pararge aegeria)to cross an open area in order to move between two shady habitats. Swedish populations of these species both preferred the shady areas, but P. aegeria traversed the open area at a higher frequency than L. achine (Paper IV). A Madeiran population of P. aegeria (naturally occurring on fairly open land) was found at similar densities in open and shady habitat, but dispersed less between the shady parts than a Swedish population of P. aegeria. The willingness to move through unsuitable habitat (habitat exploration) may have consequences for distribution; the results from Papers III & IV suggest a correlation between habitat exploration and a species' distribution in Sweden. The ability to fly at low temperature may be one important aspect of habitat exploration and could be related to the willingness to move through shade for sun-loving butter ies (Paper V).
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| 6. |
- Tison, Jean-Luc, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Signature of post-glacial expansion and genetic structure at the northern range limit of the speckled wood butterfly
- 2014
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Ingår i: Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. - : Oxford University Press. - 0024-4066 .- 1095-8312. ; 113:1, s. 136-148
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The post-glacial recolonisation of northern Europe has left distinct signatures in the genomes of many organisms, both due to random demographic processes and divergent natural selection. However, information on differences in genetic variation in conjunction with patterns of local adaptations along latitudinal gradients is often lacking. In this study, we examine genetic diversity and population structure in the speckled wood butterfly Pararge aegeria in northern Europe to investigate the species post-glacial recolonisation history and discuss how this may have affected its life-history evolution. We collected 209 samples and analysed genetic variation in nine microsatellite loci. The results demonstrated a more pronounced population structure in northern Europe compared with populations further south, as well as an overall decrease in genetic diversity with latitude, likely due to founder effects during the recolonisation process. Coalescent simulations coupled with approximate Bayesian computation suggested that central Scandinavia was colonised from the south, rather than from the east. In contrast to further south, populations at the northern range margin are univoltine expressing only one generation per year. This suggests either that univoltinism evolved independently on each side of the Baltic Sea, or that bivoltinism evolved in the south after northern Europe was recolonised.
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| 7. |
- Van Dyck, Hans, et al.
(författare)
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The lost generation hypothesis : could climate change drive ectotherms into a developmental trap?
- 2015
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Ingår i: Oikos. - : Wiley. - 0030-1299 .- 1600-0706. ; 124:1, s. 54-61
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Climate warming affects the rate and timing of the development in ectothermic organisms. Short-living, ectothermic organisms (including many insects) showing thermal plasticity in life-cycle regulation could, for example, increase the number of generations per year under warmer conditions. However, changed phenology may challenge the way organisms in temperate climates deal with the available thermal time window at the end of summer. Although adaptive plasticity is widely assumed in multivoltine organisms, rapid environmental change could distort the quality of information given by environmental cues that organisms use to make developmental decisions. Developmental traps are scenarios in which rapid environmental change triggers organisms to pursue maladaptive developmental pathways. This occurs because organisms must rely upon current environmental cues to predict future environmental conditions and corresponds to a novel case of ecological or evolutionary traps. Examples of introduced, invasive species are congruent with this hypothesis. Based on preliminary experiments, we argue that the dramatic declines of the wall brown Lasiommata megera in northwestern Europe may be an example of a developmental trap. This formerly widespread, bivoltine (or even multivoltine) butterfly has become a conundrum to conservationist biologists. A split-brood field experiment with L. megera indeed suggests issues with life-cycle regulation decisions at the end of summer. In areas where the species went extinct recently, 100% of the individuals developed directly into a third generation without larval diapause, whereas only 42.5% did so in the areas where the species still occurs. Under unfavourable autumn conditions, the attempted third generation will result in high mortality and eventually a lost or suicidal' third generation in this insect with non-overlapping, discrete generations. We discuss the idea of a developmental trap within an integrated framework for assessing the vulnerability of species to climate change.
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