on wing patterns

[Woody Woods]

Yesterday I visited the winter greenhouse facility of the Butterfly Garden in
Westboro, MA, operated by George Leslie, whom some of you must know. There
were many heliconines of the same species, a colony George started with
animals imported from a British supplier. Uncharacteristically for George, he
couldn't think of the species name just then! What was striking was the range
of wing patterns; some with red or yellow on a black background, like H. erato
or H. clysonymus, others with a more D. iulia coloration (no, they weren't D.
iulia, though he has those too). 

Chris or anyone, do any light bulbs click on? Do you recognize the species
from that information alone, and can you tell me anything about this
(possible) balanced polymorphism (or might it be hybridization)?

Woody

Chris J. Durden wrote:
> 
> ... Ecotypes are the varieties that occur in balanced
> polymorphism with the "typical" genotype and can be demonstrated to be
> genetically determined. They coexist with the "typical"  genotype because
> of some bi- or polymodality of the niche. There is not enough separation of
> the modalities of selection to disconnect the genetic exchange that keeps
> them conspecific, yet the selective peaks are strong enough to keep pulling
> them apart.
> ...............Chris Durden
> 
*********************************************************
William A. Woods Jr.
Department of Biology
University of Massachusetts Boston
100 Morrissey Blvd                      Lab: 617-287-6642
Boston, MA 02125                        Fax: 617-287-6650
*********************************************************

 
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