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Composition of Wild Populations in the Lycaenid Butterfly Neozephyrus taxila

1953; University of Chicago Press; Volume: 87; Issue: 833 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1086/281760

1537-5323

Taku Komai,

Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior

1. In the Lycaenid butterfly, Neozephyrus taxila Bremer the female is polymorphic, and comprises the following four types: (1) plain dark-brown, (2) with orange markings, (3) with bluish markings, and (4) with both the orange and bluish markings. Although no breeding data are available, this polymorphism is apparently due to a set of triple-allelic or triple-semiallelic genes, namely, a recessive gene for the plain color, a dominant gene for the orange marking and another dominant gene for the bluish marking. 2. Thirteen population samples from various localities in Japan include these types in different proportions. The relative frequency of these genes in these samples has been computed under the assumption given above. It has been revealed that, excepting one very small sample, seven out of the remaining twelve show that the observed incidences of the genes for orange marking (p), bluish marking (q) and plain color (r) accord with the corresponding incidences expected on the basis of the above assumption. For the other five samples, there are discrepancies between the expected and observed values which exceed twice the standard errors. This is because the classes that include homozygotes of these dominant genes are relatively deficient, while the heterozygous (double-dominant) class and the recessive class are relatively in excess. 3. The polymorphism found in this butterfly seems to be comparable with the polymorphism in other butterflies, as well as in other animals previously studied, in that the dominants have some selective disadvantage in the homozygous state and some advantage in the heterozygous state at least under some conditions, and thereby the relative frequency of the dominant and recessive types is kept in the equilibrium state. 4. It is highly improbable that these four types are due to two sets of independent dominant genes, nor is it likely that they are due to a set of triple-allelic genes of which those for the markings are recessive to that for the plain color. 5. The names of other species in the same and allied genera showing similar polymorphism in females are listed. The writer is indebted to Dr. E. B. Ford for valuable criticism.