Lisämateriaali julkaisuun: Genetic colour variation visible for predators and conspecifics is concealed from humans in a polymorphic moth

2022

The definition of colour polymorphism is intuitive: genetic variants express discretely-coloured phenotypes. This classification is however elusive as humans form subjective categories or ignore differences that cannot be seen by human eyes. We demonstrate an example of a ‘cryptic morph’ in a polymorphic wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis), a phenomenon that may be common among well-studied species. We used pedigree data from nearly 20000 individuals to infer the inheritance of hindwing colouration. The evidence supports a single Mendelian locus with two alleles in males: WW and Wy produce the white and yy the yellow hindwing colour. The inheritance could not be resolved in females as thei…