Why Small Is Beautiful: Wing Colour Is Free from Thermoregulatory Constraint in the Small Lycaenid Butterfly, Polyommatus icarus

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122623
• Publication Date: 2015-04-29T14:29:38Z
• Authors: Rien De Keyser; Casper J. Breuker; Rosemary S. Hails; Roger L. H. Dennis; Tim G. Shreeve
• Keywords: Lycaenidae

We examined the roles of wing melanisation, weight, and basking posture in thermoregulation Polyommatus Icarus, a phenotypically variable protandrous member diverse Polyommatinae (Lycaenidae). Under controlled experimental conditions, approximating to marginal environmental conditions for activity field (= infrequent flight, long duration periods), warming rates are maximised with fully open wings maximum body temperatures dependent on weight. Variation melanisation within between sexes has no effect rates; males females which differ had similar rates. Posture also affected cooling rates, consistent being convective heat loss. hypothesise that this small sized butterfly, little or thermoregulation. This may be factor contributing diversity colours Polyommatinae. Because importance size requirements attaining suitable confer thermal stability adults influencing larval feeding development time patterns voltinism. Our findings indicate commonly accepted views thermoregulation, developed using medium large butterflies, not necessarily applicable butterflies.