Dorsal Patches Research Articles

A new species of the newt genus Hypselotriton (Amphibia, Urodela, Salamandridae) from Jiangxi Province, southeastern China.

A new newt species, Hypselotritonhuanggangensis sp. nov., is described based on nine specimens collected from Huanggangshan Mountains, Yanshan County, Jiangxi, China. Morphologically, the new species is characterized by the combination of nine external characters: (1) obvious black patches with clear boundaries on the whole body; (2) ground color of the dorsal body tan; (3) ground color of venter bright orange; (4) skin rough; (5) vertebral ridge weak; (6) fingers and toes overlapping when forelimb and hindlimb adpressed towards each other along body; (7) postocular orange spot absent; (8) small white warty glands around the eye; (9) two discontinuous longitudinal lines formed by white warty glands from neck to lateral parts of tail. Molecularly, the new species forms an independent clade with strong support in the phylogenetic trees of the genus based on the mitochondrial locus of NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) gene fragments. The new species distinctly differs from H.fudingensis by differences in its body measurements, vertebral ridge, dorsal black patches, and ventral black patches. Furthermore, the new species and H.fudingensis are geographically isolated by a series of high mountain ranges, including the Wuyishan and Jiufengshan Mountains. The number of Hypselotriton species is now 11.

Two sides of the same wing: ventral scales enhance dorsal wing color in the butterfly Speyeria mormonia.

Biological visual signals are often produced by complex interactions between light-absorbing and light-scattering structures, but for many signals potential interactions between different light-interacting components have yet to be tested. Butterfly wings, for example, are thin enough that their two sides may not be optically isolated. We tested if ventral wing scales of the Mormon fritillary Speyeria mormonia impact the appearances of dorsal orange patches, which are thought to be involved in sexual signaling. Using reflectance spectroscopy, we found ventral scales, either silvered or non-silvered, make dorsal orange patches significantly brighter, with the silvered scales having the greater effect. Computational modeling indicates both types of ventral scales enhance the chromatic perceptual signal of dorsal orange patches, with only the silvered scales also enhancing their achromatic perceptual signal. A lack of optical independence between the two sides of the wings of S. mormonia implies the wing surfaces of butterflies have intertwined signaling functions and evolutionary histories.

Comparing motion and static feature selectivity between the macaque dorsal and ventral temporal visual cortical body patches

Comparing motion and static feature selectivity between the macaque dorsal and ventral temporal visual cortical body patches

Female and male plumage brightness is positively correlated among populations of the dichromatic Variable Seedeater

Abstract Because studies of plumage coloration often focus on highly elaborate and conspicuous males, little is known about the factors driving theevolution of drab plumage in females of dichromatic species. We explored variation in the color properties of drab female plumage across subspecies of the Variable Seedeater (Sporophila corvina) and found a correlation between plumage brightness of male and female plumage patches. This correlation is consistent with the hypothesis that differences in plumage brightness among females result, at least partially, from a genetic correlation or shared developmental pathway with the more conspicuous male plumage traits that are shaped by sexual selection. Furthermore, we modeled the perception of female plumage using the avian visual system and found that most of the variation in color among females is undetectable by birds; therefore, it is unlikely for such variation to have evolved via direct sexual selection as a signal for recognition or assortative mating. Together, these results suggest that variation in S. corvina female color result from non-adaptive processes. However, we found a reduced variation on color of dorsal patches compared with that of ventral patches among females, which could be explained by natural selection on crypsis, reducing the variation on dorsal patches. Finally, we found little differences in plumage color between adult females and juveniles, which suggest selection for juveniles to resemble adult females possibly to reduce aggression from adult males. Additional within-population studies and behavioral experiments are needed to discern the evolutionary factors driving variation on S. corvina female color and its function.

In search of bachelorettes: Observations of male Leptonycteris yerbabuenae with dorsal patches across its range

The lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) is a partially migratory, nectarivorous species that exhibits reproductive asynchrony across its range. Both migratory and resident populations of sexually active males of L. yerbabuenae may form an odoriferous dorsal patch during their mating season. This is created by smearing saliva, urogenital fluids, and anal secretions over the interscapular dorsal region with their feet. Dorsal patches are believed to influence female mate choice. We synthesized the sightings of male dorsal patches across the species’ range, including gathering new observations of male L. yerbabuenae with dorsal patches captured at the northern extent of their range and citing previously unreported observations that we obtained by contacting other researchers. We also conducted a literature review to include all previously documented records of male L. yerbabuenae presenting dorsal patches. We document the first observations of male L. yerbabuenae with dorsal patches in the southwestern United States. In the Big Hatchet Mountains in New Mexico, we captured 1 male with a developed dorsal patch (i. e., bare dorsal skin with sticky fur) on 25 July 2019 and two others on the night of 13 August 2019. New observations of males with developed dorsal patches were obtained from Hilltop Mine in Arizona (June 2006 or 2007) and at a hummingbird feeder at a residence near the Hilltop Mine (July 2013). A male with a recovering dorsal patch (i. e., bare dorsal skin with regenerating fur) was also captured in a roost near Patagonia, Arizona, in late August 2008 and at a hummingbird feeder at a residence near Silver City, New Mexico (September 2021). All previously published records of males with dorsal patches occurred in roosts in Mexico during known mating seasons. These new observations suggest that L. yerbabuenae may breed in New Mexico and Arizona between June and August, but follow-up studies are needed to confirm this behavior. Much of the reproductive biology of this important pollinator remains unknown. Therefore, identifying regions where males present dorsal patches may not only assist in locating and protecting mating roosts, but would also further our understanding of the population ecology of this migratory species.

Microbiota composition of the dorsal patch of reproductive male Leptonycteris yerbabuenae.

Bacteria and other types of microbes interact with their hosts in several ways, including metabolic pathways, development, and complex behavioral processes such as mate recognition. During the mating season, adult males of the lesser long-nosed agave pollinator bat Leptonycteris yerbabuenae (Phyllostomidae: Glossophaginae) develop a structure called the dorsal patch, which is located in the interscapular region and may play a role in kin recognition and mate selection. Using high-throughput sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene, we identified a total of 2,847 microbial phylotypes in the dorsal patches of eleven specimens. Twenty-six phylotypes were shared among all the patches, accounting for 30 to 75% of their relative abundance. These shared bacteria are distributed among 13 families, 10 orders, 6 classes and 3 phyla. Two of these common bacterial components of the dorsal patch are Lactococcus and Streptococcus. Some of them—Helcococcus, Aggregatibacter, Enterococcus, and Corynebacteriaceae—include bacteria with pathogenic potential. Half of the shared phylotypes belong to Gallicola, Anaerococcus, Peptoniphilus, Proteus, Staphylococcus, Clostridium, and Peptostreptococcus and specialize in fatty acid production through fermentative processes. This work lays the basis for future symbiotic microbe studies focused on communication and reproduction strategies in wildlife.

Female iridescent colour ornamentation in a butterfly that displays mutual ornamentation: is it a sexual signal?

In species wherein males display elaborate sexually selected traits or ornaments, conspecific females may also express these traits in full or partial form. This is called mutual ornamentation, and the co-occurrence of such traits in males and females remains poorly understood. In many sulphur butterflies (subfamily Coliadinae), males have a brilliant ultraviolet (UV) iridescence on their dorsal wing surfaces that functions as a sexual signal in courtship. In some of these sulphurs, such as the large grass yellow, Eurema hecabe, females also display dorsal iridescent patches, albeit smaller, restricted to the forewings and less bright than the male's, but the reasons for its occurrence in females are unknown. Here we present a study testing two functional hypotheses for the female UV-reflecting patch: an antiharassment hypothesis and a male mate choice hypothesis. The daily activity pattern of this species suggests that males are most likely to harass or choose among females from midday on. Observations made at this time of day on the characteristics of females related to male courtship duration suggest that males may preferentially court females with a large UV patch. Experiments with colour-manipulated models also suggest that males court with equal intensity females with and without a basal UV patch. Taken altogether the results provide no support for the antiharassment hypothesis. Because support for the male mate choice hypothesis was relatively weak and because of the limited potential for selection on female coloration due to male choice in these butterflies, the nonfunctional sexual correlation hypothesis remains a viable explanation for the female ornament.

First Report of Two Species of Mantid Shrimps (Stomatopoda: Squilloidea: Squillidae) from Korean Waters

Two species of mantid shrimps were collected from southern part of Korea and identified as Kempella mikado and Squilloides leptosquilla of the Squillidae. The former species is characterized by having a dactylus of the raptorial claw with six teeth, only the fifth thoracic somite with a single spinous lateral process, and the fifth abdominal somite with a pair of black dorsal patches. However, the latter species is characterized by having a dactylus of the raptorial claw with four teeth, and the fifth to seventh thoracic somites each with a single lateral process. Both species are described with figures and photographs. The present records are extensions of their geographical distributions and new records in Korea. Hence, a total of six species of the stomatopods have been recorded in Korea up to date: Oratosquilla oratoria, Faughnia formosae, Taku spinosocarinatus, Chorisquilla spinosissima, Kempella mikado, and Squilloides leptosquilla.

Different morphologic formation patterns of dark patches in the black-spotted frog (Pelophylax nigromaculata) and the Asiatic toad (Bufo gargarizans).

The black-spotted frog (Pelophylax nigromaculata) and Asiatic toad (Bufo gargarizans), two relatively distantly related species, live in different habitats with different adaptive dark patches. To explain the formation of dark patches, the distribution patterns of melanin granules were examined with light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Melanin granules were produced and gathered into the "cap" structures on top of the nuclei in most epidermal cells. The "cap" structures may play a role in forming the dorsal dark patches coupled with three-layer melanophores, which can give rise to three layers of interconnected melanin networks in the dorsal dermis in P. nigromaculata. Epidermal melanocytes are rare and do not have a definitive role in forming dorsal dark patches in either P. nigromaculata or B. gargarizans. In B. gargarizans, the dermal melanophores only give rise to a single-layered melanin network, which hardly results in dark patches in the dorsal skin. However, the dermal melanophores migrate twice and form into pseudostratified networks, leading to dark patch formation in the ventral skin in B. gargarizans. The melanin granules precisely coregulate dark patches in the dermis and/or epidermis in P. nigromaculata and B. gargarizans. The dark patch formation depends on melanin granules in the epidermis or/and dermis in P. nigromaculata and B. gargarizans.

PM 7/124 (1) Spodoptera littoralis, Spodoptera litura, Spodoptera frugiperda, Spodoptera eridania

Contents Specific scope 410 1. Introduction 411 2. Identity 411 3. Detection 411 4. Identification 412 4.1. Morphological identification 412 4.1.1. Eggs 412 4.1.2. Larvae 412 4.1.2.1. Introduction 412 4.1.2.2. General description Spodoptera larvae 413 4.1.2.3. Spodoptera littoralis and S. litura 414 4.1.2.4. Spodoptera eridania 417 4.1.2.5. Spodoptera frugiperda 419 4.1.2.6. Possible confusion with Spodoptera exigua 421 4.1.3. Pupae 422 4.1.3.1. General description 422 4.1.3.2. Possible confusion with Spodoptera exigua 422 4.1.4. Adults 422 4.1.4.1. Introduction 422 4.1.4.2. Spodoptera littoralis 424 4.1.4.3. Spodoptera litura 425 4.1.4.4. Spodoptera eridania 427 4.1.4.5. Spodoptera frugiperda 429 4.2. Molecular methods 430 5. Reference material 430 6. Reporting and documentation 430 7. Performance criteria 430 8. Further information 431 9. Feedback on this diagnostic protocol 431 10. Protocol revision 431 11. Acknowledgements 431 12. References 431 Appendix 1: Features of Lepidoptera larvae 433 Appendix 2: Keys to adults based on external morphology 434 Appendix 3: Information on genitalia 435 Appendix 4: Identification of Spodoptera eridania and S. frugiperda using real‐time PCR 441 Appendix 5: Identification of Spodoptera littoralis and S. litura using real‐time PCR 442 Specific scopeThis Standard provides guidance for the identification of S. littoralis, S. litura, S. frugiperda and S. eridania.Specific approval and amendmentThis Standard was approved in 2015‐09.

Whole-agent selectivity within the macaque face-processing system

The primate brain contains a set of face-selective areas, which are thought to extract the rich social information that faces provide, such as emotional state and personal identity. The nature of this information raises a fundamental question about these face-selective areas: Do they respond to a face purely because of its visual attributes, or because the face embodies a larger social agent? Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to determine whether the macaque face patch system exhibits a whole-agent response above and beyond its responses to individually presented faces and bodies. We found a systematic development of whole-agent preference through the face patches, from subadditive integration of face and body responses in posterior face patches to superadditive integration in anterior face patches. Superadditivity was not observed for faces atop nonbody objects, implying categorical specificity of face-body interaction. Furthermore, superadditivity was robust to visual degradation of facial detail, suggesting whole-agent selectivity does not require prior face recognition. In contrast, even the body patches immediately adjacent to anterior face areas did not exhibit superadditivity. This asymmetry between face- and body-processing systems may explain why observers attribute bodies' social signals to faces, and not vice versa. The development of whole-agent selectivity from posterior to anterior face patches, in concert with the recently described development of natural motion selectivity from ventral to dorsal face patches, identifies a single face patch, AF (anterior fundus), as a likely link between the analysis of facial shape and semantic inferences about other agents.

On the natural history and functional morphology of the clam shrimp, Lynceus brachyurus Müller (Branchiopoda: Laevicaudata)

The small bivalved clam shrimp, Lynceus brachyurus Muller, 1776, is seasonally abundant in two long-duration vernal pools in central Ohio, USA. Previously unrecognized anatomical features include dorsal patches of spines or filaments on posterior trunk segments, diverse medial spines on the dorsal lobes of the leg exopods, two-segmented dorso-lateral appendages on the male eleventh segment, and brown coloration on portions of male legs. It can swim actively, but is basically benthic. Females are sometimes totally quiescent. Gut contents, observation, and experiments showed a diet of substrate scrapings, suspended detritus, and small zooplankton. Females ovulate following male stimulation and produce new egg batches without an intervening molt. Repeated matings are needed to produce the large egg masses often carried. Larvae were first collected in late February, and adults in late April. Lynceus was found in nine of the eleven years studied, being absent in the years that followed two years of high rainfall.

Two new species of Musellifer (Gastrotricha: Chaetonotida) from Florida and Tobago and the systematic placement of the genus within Paucitubulatina

Two new species of marine Gastrotricha, Musellifer reichardti sp. nov. and Musellifer tridentatus sp. nov. (Chaetonotida: Paucitubulatina: Muselliferidae), are described from the Atlantic coast of Florida (USA) and the west coast of Tobago (Trinidad and Tobago), respectively. Both new species are peculiar in that they lack a muzzle bearing the mouth, which is a diagnostic character of the genus. They correspond well to the diagnosis of Musellifer in other morphological features, and genetic data from the 18S rDNA gene of M. reichardti sp. nov. further support the inclusion of the new species in the genus Musellifer. Musellifer reichardti sp. nov. is distinguished by the following combination of characters: blunt head with reduced muzzle; dorsal patches of naked cuticle bearing sensory cilia on either side of the head; ventral locomotory cilia restricted to the pharyngeal region; spined scales; caudal furca with naked adhesive tubes. The new species is a simultaneous hermaphrodite with posterior paired ovaries, paired testes located at mid-body length, and a posterior frontal organ. M. tridentatus sp. nov. is the first species within the genus exhibiting two types of dorsal/lateral scales: anteriormost dorsal and lateral trident-shaped scales and smooth strongly overlapping dorsal scales. The systematic placement of Musellifer within the Paucitubulatina is discussed and emended diagnoses are given for Muselliferidae and Musellifer.

Early leaf miners and the ground plan of the lepidopteran larval trunk: Caterpillar morphology of the basal mothsHeterobathmia,Eriocrania, andAcanthopteroctetes

The larval trunk morphology including chaetotaxy, locomotory structures, and trunk musculature of Heterobathmia pseuderiocrania, Eriocrania cicatricella, and Acanthopteroctetes unifascia is described using conventional light, polarization, and scanning electron microscopy. The ground plan morphology of the lepidopteran larva and neolepidopteran caterpillar is discussed in light of the life history succession from free soil dwelling organism to endophagous and finally to a primarily free living, angiosperm associated organism. I suggest that the larval morphology is argued to be strongly influenced by the shift in number of surfaces present in the larval environment. Especially the environment of the endophagous species, where the upper surface of the leaf mine is linked to the presence of dorsal locomotory structures such as the retractable calli and dorsal friction patches is proposed to have had a significant impact on the morphology and locomotory mechnism of the lepidopteran caterpillar. The chaetotaxy of the lepidopteran ground plan is found to be simple, consisting only of primary and secondary tactile setae and segmental proprioceptors. The presumption of Gerasimov ([1935] Zool Anz 112:177-194) that MXD1 of the prothorax is a shifted mesothoracic MD setae is supported. I suggest that the serial arrangement of the proprioceptors MD1, present on all trunk segments except the prothorax, and a trisetous MV group on all the thoracic segments is part of the lepidopteran larval ground plan. The absence of apodeme structures associated with trunk musculature in the nonglossatans suggests that this is an autapomorphic character of the Lepidoptera and it is further found to have been influential in the evolution of the typical caterpillar trunk. The attachments of the thoracic muscles directly to the trunk integument, suggest that the apodemal structures ancestral to the Amphiesmenoptera have been reduced in the Lepidoptera. Within the non-Neolepidoptera, the lifehistory shift may have resulted in reduction of the dorsal locomotory structures, such as calli. The abdominal musculature and structural similarities further suggest that the ventral calli are structural predecessors to the crotchet bearing proleg of the "typical caterpillar."

Drosophila integrin adhesion complexes are essential for hemocyte migration in vivo

SummaryCell migration is an important biological process which has been intensively studied in the past decades. Numerous techniques, mainly involving two-dimensional cell culture systems, have contributed to dissecting the essential mechanisms underlying this process. However, the development of three-dimensional cell culture and in vivo systems has shown some differences with what was previously believed to be well-established cell migration mechanisms, suggesting that two-dimensional cell motility would be a poor predictor of in vivo behaviour. Drosophila is a widely recognized model organism to study developmental and homeostatic processes and has been widely used to investigate cell migration. Here, we focus on the migration of small groups of pupal hemocytes that accumulate during larval stages in dorsal patches. We show that integrins, and other known nascent adhesion-related proteins such as Rhea and Fermitin 1, are crucial for this process and that their depletion does not affect polarization in response to environmental cues. We also present evidence for the importance of adhesion maturation-related proteins in hemocyte migration, namely Zyxin. Zyxin depletion in hemocytes leads to a significant increase of cell speed without affecting their response to a chemotactic cue. This is the first report of a systematic analysis using Drosophila melanogaster hemocytes to study adhesion-related proteins and their function in cell migration in vivo. Our data point to mechanisms of cell migration similar to those described in three-dimensional in vitro systems and other in vivo model organisms.

The pre-overwintering nests and the immature stages of the hornet Vespa fumida van der Vecht (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

The pre-overwintering nest structure and the immature stages of the hornet Vespa fumida van der Vecht are for the first time reported. All three adult forms (queen, worker and drone) are briefly described. The eggs have many micropyles concentrated at the larger end of the egg. The mature larvae can be identified by having the ecdysial sulcus obliterated ventrally; the parietal band distinctly margined ventrally on the outer side; the palate with a median patch and a pair of dorsal patches; the collar processes of the spiracle long and thick, with many branches over almost all the surface. Morphology and distribution of the different types of sensilla (setae, conical papillae, campaniform sensilla, basiconic sensilla, etc.) and the spicules are illustrated in detail. Close relationship between the Vespa affinis-group and V. fumida previously suggested by adult morphology is briefly discussed in terms of the morphology of the mature larvae.

Taxonomy and natural history of arboreal microhylid frogs (Platypelis) from the Tsaratanana Massif in northern Madagascar, with description of a new species

We review the taxonomic status of microhylid frogs of the genus Platypelis occurring on the Tsaratanana mountain rangein northern Madagascar. Two species have originally been described from the region, Platypelis alticola and P.tsaratananaensis. We found P. alticola at elevations from 1589–2429 m, with the population at 1589 m being geneticallydivergent (pairwise sequence divergence in the 16S rRNA gene fragment 3.8%). The species was mainly found in bamboosegments accessible via small holes, and its vocalization was a tonal single-note call repeated in long regular series. Theidentity of P. tsaratananaensis was uncertain for many years. Based on comparisons with the type material we concludethat the name should be applied to a common species in the Tsaratanana region morphologically similar to P. pollicarisbut distinguished by a double-note advertisement call, repeated in long series in P. tsaratananaensis (vs. single-note in P.pollicaris), relative length of toes, and size of the prepollex in males (larger in P. pollicaris). Populations of P.tsaratananaensis from several nearby forests were genetically similar to those from the main Tsaratanana Massif. Thespecies is nidicolous with 1–27 embryos and non-feeding larvae in waterfilled bamboo segments. Oocyte number iscorrelated with female size, and larger adult specimens were found in bamboo segments situated higher above the ground.A new species, Platypelis olgae sp. nov., is described from two sites at ca. 2500 m elevation on the Tsaratanana, based onits genetic and morphological differentiation. It differs from other Platypelis by small body size (adult snout-vent length20–22 mm) the absence or rudimentary state of vomerine teeth, green to yellow ventral color, and absence of contrastingand sharply delimited symmetrical dark dorsal patches. Platypelis alticola, P. tsaratananaensis and P. olgae sp. nov. were regularly parasitized by mites probably of the genus Endotrombicula.

Chemical Composition of the Substances from Dorsal Patches of Males of the CuraÇAoan Long-Nosed Bat,Leptonycteris curasoae(Phyllostomidae: Glossophaginae)

In the absence of visual cues, chemical signals are especially important for nocturnal mammals such as bats, because they facilitate individual recognition, communication, and mate selection. In a recent study, it was reported that adult males of the Curaçaoan long-nosed bat, Leptonycteris curasoae, develop an odoriferous dorsal patch during the short mating season. It was postulated that dorsal patches signal health condition to females, and that females are preferentially attracted to the odor of males with dorsal patches. The chemical characterization of the dorsal patch is key to understanding its implications in chemical communication in a sexual context. In the present study, organic compounds collected from dorsal patches of males of L. curasoae from northwestern Venezuela were extracted using solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) techniques and tentatively identified using GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry). Nineteen compounds were present in 75% or more of the patches examined: 3-methyl-2-buten-1-thiol, acetic acid, 2′-aminoacetophenone, diacetyl, 2-pentanone, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2-nonanone, acetamide, 2-undecanone, piperidinone, 4-methylquinazoline, 2,4-dimethylquinazoline, 3-methyl-2,5-pyrrolidinedione, 2-butanone, 2-methylfuran, 3-methyl-2-butenal, δ-valerolactone, 3-methyl-2-butenoic acid, and 2-methyl-2-butenoic acid. Although some of these compounds have been reported as important in female attraction among other male mammals during their respective breeding seasons, the actual function of these chemicals in L. curasoae remains to be determined. Some of these compounds have also been identified as natural insecticides, and this may be associated with lower ectoparasite loads reported on males with dorsal patches. These results, when considered along with previous observations, suggest that the dorsal patch in males of L. curasoae promotes the attraction of females during the mating season, and/or provides protection against ectoparasites.

The Dorsal Patch of Males of the Curaçaoan Long-Nosed bat,Leptonycteris curasoae(Phyllostomidae: Glossophaginae) as a Visual Signal

The seasonal dorsal patch of males of the Curaçaoan long-nosed bat, Leptonycteris curasoae, which exhibits variability in size, shape, and chemical complexity, is a trait associated with courtship and mating in this species. This recently discovered structure develops exclusively during the mating season that occurs once a year between November and December in populations of L. curasoae from northern Venezuela. Although the dorsal patch that develops in males has unique chemical characteristics possibly involved in female attraction, we suggest that this trait also sends distinct visual cues regarding the health status of males. We evaluated the postulated association between dorsal patch shape (symmetry) and ectoparasite load (streblid batflies) in males of L. curasoae. To do so, we quantified the shape of dorsal patches on males to test the hypothesis that streblid load was related to this variable. Over 2,000 streblid batflies of two different species (Nycterophilia coxata and Trichobius sphaeronotus) were recovered from 130 individuals ( = 16 streblids/bat). Among these batflies, N. coxata was the most abundant species found on L. curasoae (2,042 individuals, 95.0% prevalence). Males with dorsal patches had significantly lower batfly loads when compared with males without dorsal patches and with females. Males with the most symmetrical dorsal patches also had the lowest batfly loads. Our results suggest that the odoriferous dorsal patches produced in males of L. curasoae also convey visual cues to female mates as signals of good health.

Plasma Antioxidant Capacity and Oxidative Damage in Relation to Male Plumage Ornamental Traits in a Montane Iberian Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleucaPopulation

Melanin-based plumage ornaments may express individual quality in the context of social and sexual selection. Oxidative stress and antioxidant defences may be expressed through melanin-based plumage traits. Male Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca exhibit eumelanic dorsal plumage and white feather patches on forehead and wing feathers. Although these traits have been related to sexual selection in some populations, no physiological correlate of variation in these characters has been previously shown. Here we test if these plumage traits are related to plasma oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity. We captured males while feeding nestlings in a population breeding at high altitude (1200–1400 m) in central Spain and collected blood samples from brachial veins. Percentage black on dorsal plumage and extension of white on folded wing and forehead were obtained from digital photographs. Plasma samples were analysed in the laboratory to obtain lipid peroxidation as a measure of oxidative damage by quantifying malondialdehydes (MDA), and antioxidant capacity. When controlling for male mass, breeding date and brood size, only forehead patch size was negatively associated with plasma lipid peroxidation levels and positively related to antioxidant capacity. There was no association among different plumage traits. Thus forehead patch size in montane Iberian populations may signal male phenotypic quality through plasma oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity possibly due to altitudinal effects on oxidative stress.