Orange Patches Research Articles

Treatment Options in Bilateral Diffuse Uveal Melanocytic Proliferation (BDUMP): Case Presentation and Review of the Literature

ABSTRACT Purpose To outline the therapeutic approach for a rare case of Bilateral Diffuse Uveal Melanocytic Proliferation (BDUMP) and examine the current management recommendations of this uncommon condition. Methods-Results Literature review on the current treatment options in BDUMP cases. An 82-year-old woman was referred to our clinic due to bilateral visual loss. She was treated elsewhere with anti-vascular endothelial growth factors (anti-VEGF) in both eyes for presumed choroidal neovascularization (CNV) without improvement. Her past medical history (PMH) entailed colon cancer, treated with surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy 15 years ago. The patient presented with low visual acuity in both eyes, multiple oval orange patches in the fundus with striking hyperfluorescent pattern in fluorescein angiography (FA), giraffe pattern in fundus autofluorescence (FAF) and rapidly progressive cataracts. Intravitreal dexamethasone implants were administered with mild improvement and subretinal fluid absorption. Conclusions The management strategy in BDUMP should focus on the systemic, often occult malignancy. There is no standard treatment protocol for BDUMP; however, plasmapheresis in combination with primary malignancy treatment seems to yield promising results in current literature reports. Anti-VEGF injections failed to control BDUMP sequelae, however intravitreal dexamethasone implants may offer temporary relief.

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.

Injuries and skin condition of Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in the northern South China Sea

AbstractIndo‐Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) inhabiting the Chinese coastline of the northern South China Sea are subject to intense human activity. To investigate potential impacts to dolphins, photographs taken from 2010 to 2021 in five different locations were analyzed. Among individual dolphins (N = 1,159), 10.6% presented human‐induced injuries. Adults were more frequently injured than young dolphins, and individuals from around Jiangmen, Hainan, and Sanniang Bay presented the highest injury prevalence. More research should be conducted in areas that have been subject to less research, such as Jiangmen and Hainan, and the dolphin watching activities occurring in Sanniang Bay should be monitored and regulated. Forty‐seven percent of dolphins presented skin conditions, with orange patches being the most frequent (41.5%). Orange patches and hyper‐pigmented pink spots were significantly less prevalent in summer and fall than in winter and spring. Orange patches were less frequent in females than in males, as well as with calves relative to older age classes. Seasonal patterns may be linked to water temperatures, while demographic patterns may be associated with immune defenses. These findings allow for a better understanding of the potential impact of human activities on Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphins and should inform further conservation measures.

Predator-Induced Plasticity on Warning Signal and Larval Life-History Traits of the Aposematic Wood Tiger Moth, Arctia plantaginis

Predator-induced plasticity in life-history and antipredator traits during the larval period has been extensively studied in organisms with complex life-histories. However, it is unclear whether different levels of predation could induce warning signals in aposematic organisms. Here, we investigated whether predator-simulated handling affects warning coloration and life-history traits in the aposematic wood tiger moth larva, Arctia plantaginis. As juveniles, a larger orange patch on an otherwise black body signifies a more efficient warning signal against predators but this comes at the costs of conspicuousness and thermoregulation. Given this, one would expect that an increase in predation risk would induce flexible expression of the orange patch. Prior research in this system points to plastic effects being important as a response to environmental changes for life history traits, but we had yet to assess whether this was the case for predation risk, a key driver of this species evolution. Using a full-sib rearing design, in which individuals were reared in the presence and absence of a non-lethal simulated bird attack, we evaluated flexible responses of warning signal size (number of orange segments), growth, molting events, and development time in wood tiger moths. All measured traits except development time showed a significant response to predation. Larvae from the predation treatment developed a more melanized warning signal (smaller orange patch), reached a smaller body size, and molted more often. Our results suggest plasticity is indeed important in aposematic organisms, but in this case may be complicated by the trade-off between costly pigmentation and other life-history traits.

Out in the open: behavior's effect on predation risk and thermoregulation by aposematic caterpillars.

Warning coloration should be under strong stabilizing selection but often displays considerable intraspecific variation. Opposing selection on color by predators and temperature is one potential explanation for this seeming paradox. Despite the importance of behavior for both predator avoidance and thermoregulation, its role in mediating selection by predators and temperature on warning coloration has received little attention. Wood tiger moth caterpillars, Arctia plantaginis, have aposematic coloration, an orange patch on the black body. The size of the orange patch varies considerably: individuals with larger patches are safer from predators, but having a small patch is beneficial in cool environments. We investigated microhabitat preference by these caterpillars and how it interacted with their coloration. We expected caterpillar behavior to reflect a balance between spending time exposed to maximize basking and spending time concealed to avoid detection by predators. Instead, we found that caterpillars preferred exposed locations regardless of their coloration. Whether caterpillars were exposed or concealed had a strong effect on both temperature and predation risk, but caterpillars in exposed locations were both much warmer and less likely to be attacked by a bird predator (great tits, Parus major). This shared optimum may explain why we observed so little variation in caterpillar behavior and demonstrates the important effects of behavior on multiple functions of coloration.

Attacks by predators on artificial cryptic and aposematic insect larvae

AbstractColour and colour patterns seem to be especially important visual warning signals for predators, which might have innate or learned ability to avoid aposematic prey. To test the importance of larval colour pattern of the aposematic ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), an invasive alien species in Europe, we presented the plasticine models of aposematic larvae to wild and naïve birds. We studied the attacks on aposematic larvae of various patterns and colours in nature and in an outdoor aviary. The larvae were cryptic (green), aposematic (resembling those of the H. axyridis larvae), and semi‐aposematic (i.e., black but missing the typical orange patches of H. axyridis larvae). We detected attacks on 71 larvae out of 450 (i.e., 2.6% daily predation). Twenty‐nine attacks were made by birds, 37 by arthropods, and five by gastropods. Wild birds attacked green and black larvae significantly more often than aposematic larvae. Colour did not have an effect on attacks by arthropods. The experiment with naïve birds was conducted in an outdoor aviary, where naïve great tits, Parus major L., were offered the same artificial larvae as in the first experiment. In total, 57 of 90 exposed larvae were attacked by birds (i.e., 28% daily predation), and green larvae were attacked significantly more than the aposematic larvae (but not more than black larvae). Our results imply that aposematic larvae of H. axyridis are more than 12× less likely to be predated by birds than green larvae in nature. The aposematic pattern represented a more effective signal than the semi‐aposematic signal. The ability to reject aposematic prey seemed to be innate in our birds.

Identifikasi Senyawa Metabolit Sekunder Ekstrak Etanol Kulit Buah Pisang Kepok (Musa paradisiaca L) dengan Metode KLT

Indonesia is a country that is rich in abundant natural plants by having various types of plants which have medicinal properties and are used by some people as traditional medicines. One use of traditional medicine used by the community is the banana plant. So far the community only uses bananas, limited to the use of their fruit, then the banana peel after consumption is only disposed of as waste that is not used optimally by the community. This study aims to identify the chemical compounds found in the skin of Kepok Banana (Musa paradisiaca L) taken from the pioneer road in the city of Makassar. This identification is carried out using the Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) method and chemical reagents. Kepok banana peel extract (Musa paradisiaca L.) is made using maceration method, because the method is not only simple, the equipment used is simple, easy to work on, can also avoid damage to compound components due to heat. The yield of Rendamen obtained was 12.06%. Identification was done using Silica Thin Layer Chromatography GF254 with N-hexane eluent: ethyl acetate (6: 4) eluents obtained 5 stains on 366 nm UV light, namely alkaloids with orange blotches with Rf value (0.13), saponins with blemishes. purple Rf value (0.92), flavonoids with yellow spots Rf values ​​(0.33) and tannins with blackish orange patches Rf values ​​(0.65). Based on testing using chemical reagents obtained positive results saponins, flavonoids, tannins and alkaloids. The conclusion of the study showed that the Kepok banana peel extract taken on the pioneering road of Makassar city contained alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids and tannins.

Uncovering the function of an enigmatic display: antipredator behaviour in the iconic Australian frillneck lizard

Abstract When faced with a predator, some animals engage in a deimatic display to startle the predator momentarily, resulting in a pause or retreat, thereby increasing their chance of escape. Frillneck lizards (Chlamydosaurus kingii) are characterised by a large, pronounced frill that extends from the base of the head to beyond the neck and, when displayed, can be up to six times the width of the head. We used behavioural assays with a model avian predator to demonstrate that their display conforms to deimatic display theory. First, juveniles and adults deployed the frill in encounters with a model predator. Second, the display revealed three colour patches (white and red–orange patches on the frill; yellow mouth palate) that facilitate a transition from a cryptic to a conspicuous state as perceived by a raptor visual system. Third, the display was performed with movements that amplified its effect. The frill area was larger in males than in females, which suggests that the frill might also be co-opted for male–male contests. If future research confirms a role of the frill in male agonistic interactions, frillneck lizards will be a rare case in which a structure has a dual function in a deimatic display and a sexually selected signal.

A new and cryptic species of Trentepohlia (Ulvophyceae, Chlorophyta) from Brazilian mixed forests

:The order Trentepohliales represents one of the most prominent algal groups in terrestrial habitats but its taxonomy and phylogeny are still poorly understood. During a survey of Trentepohliales in different Brazilian biomes, some trentepohlialean populations were found in mixed forest localities growing on the bark of the gymnosperm Araucaria angustifolia. These populations formed orange patches with the typical habit of the genus Trentepohlia. The filaments consisted of cylindrical or swollen cells 4.0–10.2 μm wide and produced single apical globular gametangia and zoosporangia, with apical cells having a well-developed pectic cap. Molecular analysis based on the rbcL gene revealed that these populations represent a distinct clade, and based on the results, a new species, Trentepohlia araucariana, is described.

<b>A new species of zygaenid moth <I>Elcysma ziroensis</I> (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae: Chalcosiinae) from India<b?

Elcysma, a small genus of zygaenid moths occurring in Nagaland, western China and Japan is recorded from Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India for the first time. The other known species from northeastern India is E. dohertyi, so far known only from Nagaland by a single specimen collected by W. Doherty in 1889. A new species, E. ziroensis is hereby described. The other species of the genus is white in colour with prominent black veins whereas the new species has very broad black stripes along both sides of the veins taking over the white background on forewing and brown background on hindwing, making the moth look entirely blackish in colour. The new species also has the orange patch restricted to the upper base of forewing, whereas the other species of the genus has orange patch in whole of base of the forewing. The shape of the wing resembles that of E. dohertyi in being narrower forewing and hind wing. The wing venations is, however, markedly different from all other Elcysma species having five radius veins with three posterior radius sectors branching out to the apical area in forewing. The species also shows mimetic assemblage with B. lidderdalii which also flies together at the same locality.

Flamboyant sexual signals: multiple messages for multiple receivers

Animals are often faced with the challenge of signalling to multiple receivers that might differ in their detection abilities and preferences. Such conditions are expected to favour the evolution of complex signals. The superb fan-throated lizard, Sarada superba, possesses one of the most complex sexual trait of any lizard: an enlarged dewlap with blue, black and orange patches that is flapped rapidly during both courtship and aggressive displays. We examined the use of the tricoloured dewlap in social signalling to determine whether (1) movement enhances signal detection, and whether (2) males and females differ in their preference for colours. Using robotic lizard stimuli, we measured receiver responses to movement and colour individually, and found that movement attracted both sexes, but the latency to respond was faster when dewlaps had all three colours compared to none (white). Furthermore, the sexes did not differ in the ability to detect colours, as more than 80% of lizards preferred coloured to white dewlaps. Most strikingly, however, the sexes showed strong preferences for different colours. Females preferentially responded to orange colour on dewlaps, and males responded to blue and black, indicating that different colours are targeted at different receivers. These results highlight that complex signals can evolve due to simultaneous inter- and intrasexual selection.

A Slowly Growing Orange Patch on the Cheek: Diagnosis of Lupus Vulgaris 20 Years After Onset of First Skin Changes.

Tuberculosis is a worldwide occurring disease that affects approximately 20–40% of the world’s population and in particular in developing countries. However, in times of migration, industrialised countries are again being more and more affected. Cutaneous tuberculosis is rare and lupus vulgaris represents its most common form. Preferentially, young adults in developing or low-income countries are affected from cutaneous tuberculosis, which usually occurs in previously sensitized persons with a high degree of tuberculin sensitivity and a good immunoresponse. In Europe, more elderly people are involved. We present a case of lupus vulgaris that was diagnosed with a delay of about 20 years after onset of first skin changes.

Seeing orange: breeding convict cichlids exhibit heightened aggression against more colorful intruders

Female convict cichlids (Amatitlania siquia) exhibit bright orange ventral coloration that males lack. The behavioral implications of this color are poorly understood, particularly in naturally occurring populations where female coloration could play a role in the expression of territorial nest-guarding behaviors. In this field experiment, monogamous breeding pairs of convict cichlids were presented with 3D printed model conspecific intruders of three body sizes (small, medium, and large) exhibiting three orange patch sizes (large, small, or none) to observe how territorial aggression varied as a function of intruder size and female coloration. Individuals occupying breeding pairs that were defending hatched offspring were significantly more aggressive toward intruders with small and large amounts of orange than toward models lacking orange, indicating that color is an important context-dependent elicitor of aggression in this species. Males were significantly more aggressive toward the intruder than females, and male aggression was strongly influenced by their size relative to the intruder. When males were smaller than the intruder, they performed significantly more aggressive acts than when they were the same size or larger than the intruder; this trend persisted across three putative populations in Lake Xiloa, Nicaragua. A potential explanation for these findings is that the orange color functions as a signal of individual quality or breeding readiness and that breeding pairs increase aggression to repel intruders that pose the greatest threat to pair bond and nest maintenance. One or both sexes of many animal species possess brightly colored features that might communicate information about overall heath or reproductive status. In convict cichlid fish, males and females establish pair bonds and jointly defend their nest and offspring. Single females exhibit striking orange coloration that males and breeding females lack. Our field-based experiment provided evidence that more colorful females, which likely pose a threat to pair bond stability and nest maintenance, incite more aggression from breeding pairs than drab females. Our study suggests that color provides salient information about, perhaps, female quality or readiness to breed in natural populations, and adds to a growing body of research that seeks to understand the varied roles that colorful ornaments play in animal communication.

Behavioural differences across contexts may indicate morph-specific strategies in the lizard Ctenophorus decresii

Discrete colour polymorphisms are often genetically correlated with other traits under natural and sexual selection, such as behaviour, life history and physiology. Elucidating such correlations is essential to understand the adoption of alternative strategies between morphs and the role they play in the maintenance of colour polymorphisms within a population. Using field experiments, we tested the hypothesis that four visually discrete morphs (orange, yellow, yellow with a central orange patch (orange-yellow) and grey) of the tawny dragon lizard, Ctenophorus decresii, display alternative behavioural strategies. Specifically, we compared the response of colour morphs to simulated conspecific territorial intruders and predators in the wild. Although the orange-yellow morph can be objectively classified, it may behaviourally resemble the orange or yellow morph; therefore we compared statistical models in which the orange-yellow morph was considered a separate morph (four-morph model) or grouped with either pure orange or pure yellow individuals (three-morph models). For aggression, a three-morph model with orange-yellow individuals grouped as yellow morphs best fitted the data. The orange morph showed consistently high aggression to all morphs, while the grey morph showed consistently low aggression. Aggression of the yellow morph was conditional on the morph of the intruder. In addition to being the least aggressive, the grey morph was the least bold. Although the orange morph was the most aggressive, it was only the boldest under a three-morph model, which was equally likely compared to a four-morph model. Overall our results support the view that tawny dragon lizard morphs adopt different behavioural strategies, the orange and grey morphs exhibiting more aggressive and cautious strategies, respectively, and the yellow morph changing its aggression depending on its competitor's colour.

Optical space weathering on Vesta: Radiative-transfer models and Dawn observations

Exposure to ion and micrometeoroid bombardment in the space environment causes physical and chemical changes in the surface of an airless planetary body. These changes, called space weathering, can strongly influence a surface’s optical characteristics, and hence complicate interpretation of composition from reflectance spectroscopy. Prior work using data from the Dawn spacecraft (Pieters, C.M. et al. [2012]. Nature 491, 79–82) found that accumulation of nanophase metallic iron (npFe0), which is a key space-weathering product on the Moon, does not appear to be important on Vesta, and instead regolith evolution is dominated by mixing with carbonaceous chondrite (CC) material delivered by impacts.In order to gain further insight into the nature of space weathering on Vesta, we constructed model reflectance spectra using Hapke’s radiative-transfer theory and used them as an aid to understanding multispectral observations obtained by Dawn’s Framing Cameras (FC). The model spectra, for a howardite mineral assemblage, include both the effects of npFe0 and that of a mixed CC component. We found that a plot of the 438-nm/555-nm ratio vs. the 555-nm reflectance for the model spectra helps to separate the effects of lunar-style space weathering (LSSW) from those of CC-mixing. We then constructed ratio–reflectance pixel scatterplots using FC images for four areas of contrasting composition: a eucritic area at Vibidia crater, a diogenitic area near Antonia crater, olivine-bearing material within Bellicia crater, and a light mantle unit (referred to as an “orange patch” in some previous studies, based on steep spectral slope in the visible) northeast of Oppia crater. In these four cases the observed spectral trends are those expected from CC-mixing, with no evidence for weathering dominated by production of npFe0. In order to survey a wider range of surfaces, we also defined a spectral parameter that is a function of the change in 438-nm/555-nm ratio and the 555-nm reflectance between fresh and mature surfaces, permitting the spectral change to be classified as LSSW-like or CC-mixing-like. When applied to 21 fresh and mature FC spectral pairs, it was found that none have changes consistent with LSSW.We discuss Vesta’s lack of LSSW in relation to the possible agents of space weathering, the effects of physical and compositional differences among asteroid surfaces, and the possible role of magnetic shielding from the solar wind.

Description of the first anchialine gastropod from a Yucatán cenote,Teinostoma brankovitsin. sp. (Caenogastropoda: Tornidae), including an emended generic diagnosis

A new species of Teinostoma (Tornidae) is described from an under-investigated section of the anchialine cave system Cenote Crustacea, situated on the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Teinostoma brankovitsi n. sp. is the first anchialine gastropod reported from the Yucatan Peninsula and the first record of the family from an anchialine cave. Specimens were found in chalky sediments riddled with orange bacterial patches, c. 450 m from the inland entrance pool, in complete darkness. Teinostoma brankovitsi has a circular, multispiral operculum with a central nucleus and does not have tentacles on the foot or opercular lobe. Specimens possess a taenioglossate radula with a central tooth broadly V-shaped and a serrated cutting area with two basal denticles. The diagnosis of Teinostoma is emended based on

Epidemiological characteristics of skin disorders in cetaceans from South American waters

We document the macroscopic phenotypic characteristics (relative size, location, pattern, colour, extension), prevalence and evolution of five types of skin disorders of unknown aetiology, including ‘green-brown plaques’ (GBP), ‘orange patches’ (OPA), ‘cutaneous nodules’ (NOD), ‘pale dermatitis’ (PAD) and ‘expansive annular lesions’ (EAL) in five odontocete species (n = 559 individuals) from the Southeast Pacific (n = 230) and Southwest Atlantic (n = 329) oceans. GBP affected two likely-adult Sotalia guianensis traveling side-by-side in a freshwater area of the Cananéia Estuary in August 2009. Low salinity is suggested as predisposing factor. OPA were distinguished in three of 209 (1.4%) free-ranging S. guianensis in Sepetiba Bay, Brazil, during winter months of 2005-2008. Epibiont diatoms are suspected aetiological agents. NOD were chronically present in one male adult Orcinus orca observed off the coast of southern Brazil in 2007-2010. PAD was seen in free-ranging individuals and carcasses of Tursiops truncatus, S. guianensis and Pseudorca crassidens from both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in 1992 and in 2004-2009. Prevalence was 1% in 103 S. guianensis from Paranaguá Estuary (Brazil), 2.3% in 222 S. guianensis from Sepetiba Bay and 6.9% in 87 inshore T. truncatus from Paracas Bay, Peru. Although in some cases the lesions covered up to 35-40% of the visible body surface and ulcers may occur there was no evidence of mortality and, in time-series of six individuals, PAD eventually healed. In six T. truncatus and five S. guianensis acutely affected, PAD was associated with minor cutaneous injuries and scars, including tooth rakes, suggesting infection routes for opportunistic pathogens. EAL were noted in a Cephalorhynchus eutropia calf from Palena province, Chile, in 2003 and in a P. crassidens calf washed ashore dead in southern Brazil in 2009. The C. eutropia calf disappeared, and probably died, two weeks after first observation. Prevalence of EAL was 6.7% in 15 C. eutropia in 2002-2004. These data suggest that EAL are potentially lethal in calves. PAD and EAL were primarily seen in cetaceans inhabiting biologically or chemically contaminated nearshore waters. In view of their emergence and occasional severity these disorders should be the subject of systematic monitoring.

Prevalence of epidermal conditions in common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Gulf of Ambracia, western Greece

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) of the Gulf of Ambracia are exposed to numerous growing anthropogenic impacts, rendering them more prone to cutaneous changes. The prevalence of skin conditions in this resident population was evaluated based on photo-identification. Five skin lesions previously described in other studies were considered, namely dark-fringed spots, white-fringed spots, orange patch, tattoo-like and white fin-fringe, in addition to a new particularly severe condition named as “white dots” (WD). A 37% prevalence of epidermal lesions was detected on a total of 153 dolphins. The newly identified WD was the skin condition most frequently observed (45%) in the area, showing considerable differences on its severity between individuals. From 29 dolphins affected by WD in 2012, two were severely affected throughout their 10-year photo-id records and all of them either worsened over the years, or maintained their WD condition. No cases were found in which WD resolved over time. The increasingly degraded conditions of the Gulf of Ambracia may be influencing their epidermal integrity or causing them physiological stress. The epidermal conditions here reported, in some cases very conspicuous and relatively easy to monitor over the years, might act as indicators of environmental burden.

Neurellipes rhoko sp. n. from the Cross River Loop, Eastern Nigeria (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Polyommatinae)

A new species belonging to the recently revised Neurellipes mahota-group has been found in the Cross River Loop, Eastern Nigeria. It resembles the recently described Liberian N. georgiadisi Larsen, 2009, but differs from it by the wing shape and the extent and shape of orange patches on the hindwing, also on the forewing, especially in the discoidal cell. The species is described as N. rhoko sp. n.; a detailed comparison with the other species in the N. mahota-group is given, as well as notes on the biogeography of N. rhoko and its Liberian sub-region vicariant N. georgiadisi.

Extra-pair Paternity in Relation to Age of the Red-breasted FlycatcherFicedula Parvamales

Despite advances in knowledge, in many bird species, the true mating system is unknown, and especially so for birds breeding at low densities under natural conditions. We studied paternity at the population and breeding pair level in the Red-breasted Flycatcher ( Ficedula parva), a small, migrant passerine breeding in old-growth Białowieża Forest. Over seven breeding seasons we genotyped a total of 159 nestlings and 25 adult males as fathers from 33 broods of the Red-breasted Flycatcher. Extra-pair young were present in eight broods (24.2%). Twelve (7.5%) chicks mismatched with the ‘social’ male in several loci. Both low breeding density and synchrony in breeding phenology can explain such findings. Also of interest was the share of extra-pair paternity at the individual level, in relation to the age/ornamentation of the extra-pair male. Male Red-breasted Flycatchers exhibit delayed plumage maturation. Young males (second year) are without an orange badge on the throat and breast, while older males (after-second year) are ornamented and have an orange badge. The extra-pair nestlings were found in eight broods, four with young males as a fathers (36.4%) and four in broods of old males (18.2%). However, in all seven cases when the age of the extra-pair partner was known, irrespective of the age of the social father, the extra-pair partner was a male with an orange patch on the breast. This indicated female preference for ornamented males as partners for extra-pair copulation.