The influence of artificial selection on wing spot sizes, and the relationship between forewing and hindwing spots in the Meadow Brown Butterfly Maniola jurtina (Linnaeus, 1758), ssp. cassiteridum Graves, 1930 ab. anticrassipuncta Leeds, 1950 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae)

Abstract

Four generations of butterflies were reared from two female Maniola jurtina (Linnaeus, 1758) with enlarged apical spots (ab. anticrassipuncta Leeds, 1950) captured on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, UK in 2013. The aim was to see how far this character could be developed through inbreeding. Previous work by Brakefield & van Noordwijk (1985) has looked at the relationship between forewing and hindwing spotting. The specimens retained from this experiment offered an opportunity to assess the correlation between the forewing spot size, additional forewing spots and hindwing spot size and number. A correlation was found between the area of the forewing spot and the number of additional spots, on both forewings and hindwings. A correlation was also found between the area of the apical spot and the summed area of all hindwing spots. However, when apical spot size was tested against an individual hindwing spot, a correlation in size was found in the male, but this was of far lower value in the female.