Geographic variation in the colour/ pattern polymorphism of British Philaenus spumarius (L) (Homoptera: Aphrophoridae) populations *

Abstract

Geographic variation in the frequency of colour/pattern morphs of Philaenus spumarius is described at 48 localities in England and Wales. The sites have been divided into four broad environmental categories, two urban and two rural. There is a distinction between the urban and rural groupings in the relative proportions of the colour morphs; in urban localities there is a higher combined frequency of the eight ‘melanic’ morphs. Differences also exist between locality groupings, and between the sexes, in the relative frequencies of the eight morphs within the ‘melanic’ phenotypic category. Morphs limited to the female sex in some other parts of the species range occur among males in British populations. It is suggested that the different dominance hierarchy between the sexes which exists in Fennoscandian populations may not be characteristic of British populations.