Abstract
Colour pattern development of butterfly wings has been studied from several different approaches. However, developmental changes in the pupal wing tissues have rarely been documented visually. In this study, we recorded real-time developmental changes of the pupal whole wings of 9 nymphalid, 2 lycaenid, and 1 pierid species in vivo, from immediately after pupation to eclosion, using the forewing-lift method. The developmental period was roughly divided into four sequential stages. At the very early stage, the wing tissue was transparent, but at the second stage, it became semi-transparent and showed dynamic peripheral adjustment and slow low-frequency contractions. At this stage, the wing peripheral portion diminished in size, but simultaneously, the ventral epithelium expanded in size. Likely because of scale growth, the wing tissue became deeply whitish at the second and third stages, followed by pigment deposition and structural colour expression at the fourth stage. Some red or yellow (light-colour) areas that emerged early were “overpainted” by expanding black areas, suggesting the coexistence of two morphogenic signals in some scale cells. The discal spot emerged first in some nymphalid species, as though it organised the entire development of colour patterns. These results indicated the dynamic wing developmental processes common in butterflies.
Highlights
Diverse colour patterns of butterfly wings have attracted many artists, amateur lepidopterists, and biologists worldwide throughout the history
A sequence of pigment deposition on the wings was observed at various time points in 1980 using multiple specimens of Junonia coenia[1,29]; reddish pigment emerges before black pigment
The distal edge of the fore- and hindwings dynamically moved in the first and second stage, which may indicate a degradation of the peripheral portion by apoptosis[1,52,53,54,55,56] and an expansion of the wing tissue proper through an increase of the number of cells
Summary
Diverse colour patterns of butterfly wings have attracted many artists, amateur lepidopterists, and biologists worldwide throughout the history. A sequence of pigment deposition on the wings was observed at various time points in 1980 using multiple specimens of Junonia coenia[1,29]; reddish pigment emerges before black pigment This process may be called the light-to-dark rule. Next-generation genome or RNA sequencing studies have facilitated the identification of potential genes for colour pattern formation[40,44,45,46]. These studies revealed important functions of some genes involved in the colour pattern formation of eyespots and other elements. Analyses of different species are necessary to examine the generality of the previous discoveries and to search for additional phenomena that have not been discovered yet
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
