Guppy C S
Institute of Animal Resource Ecology and Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, V6T 1W5, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
Oecologia. 1986 Sep;70(2):205-213. doi: 10.1007/BF00379241.
The adaptive significance of alpine melanism, the tendancy for insects to become darker with increased elevation and latitude, was investigated using the butterfly Parnassius phoebus. The effects on temperature dependent activity of five components of overall wing melanism, as well as size, were examined. The components of wing melanism examined were the transparency of the basal hindwing and distal fore-wing areas, the width of the black patch in the basal hind-wing area and the proportion of black to white scales in that area, and the proportion of the distal fore-wing covered by predominantly black scaling.The body temperature of dead specimens was correlated with air temperature, solar radiation, the width of the black patch at the base of the wings, and the proportion of black to white scales at the base of the wings. The minimum air temperatures and solar radiation levels required for initiation of flight did not vary with wing melanism of P. phoebus, in contrast to the results found for Colias butterflies by Roland (1982). However, under environmental conditions suitable for flight initiation, males with a higher proportion of black to white scales in the basal area of the hind-wing, and wider basal black patches, spent a greater proportion of time in flight at low air temperatures and low insolation. Increased basal wing melanism was also associated with increased movement of males within a population. In contrast, melanism in the distal area of the wings has no effect on activities which are dependant on body temperature. The amount of time spent feeding did not vary with differences in wing melanism. I suggest that in dorsal basking, slow-flying butterflies (Parnassius) basal wing color affects body temperature primarily during flight (rather than while basking), such that butterflies with darker wing bases cool down less rapidly because they absorb more solar radiation during flight.
利用阿波罗绢蝶研究了高山黑化现象（即昆虫随着海拔和纬度升高而颜色变深的趋势）的适应性意义。研究了整体翅黑化的五个组成部分以及翅大小对温度依赖性活动的影响。所研究的翅黑化组成部分包括后翅基部和前翅远端区域的透明度、后翅基部区域黑色斑块的宽度以及该区域黑色鳞片与白色鳞片的比例，还有前翅远端主要被黑色鳞片覆盖的比例。死亡标本的体温与气温、太阳辐射、翅基部黑色斑块的宽度以及翅基部黑色鳞片与白色鳞片的比例相关。与罗兰（1982年）对珂粉蝶属蝴蝶的研究结果相反，阿波罗绢蝶飞行起始所需的最低气温和太阳辐射水平并不随翅黑化程度而变化。然而，在适合飞行起始的环境条件下，后翅基部区域黑色鳞片与白色鳞片比例较高且基部黑色斑块较宽的雄性个体，在低气温和低日照条件下飞行的时间占比更大。翅基部黑化程度增加还与种群内雄性个体活动增多有关。相比之下，翅远端区域的黑化对依赖体温的活动没有影响。取食所花费的时间并未因翅黑化程度的差异而有所不同。我认为在背部晒太阳时，飞行缓慢的蝴蝶（阿波罗绢蝶）翅基部颜色主要在飞行期间（而非晒太阳时）影响体温，因此翅基部颜色较深的蝴蝶在飞行过程中吸收更多太阳辐射，降温速度较慢。
