Date of Award
Fall 12-2017
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Program
Biological Sciences
Department
Biological Sciences
Major Professor
Dr. Penz
Second Advisor
Dr. DeVries
Third Advisor
Dr. Atallah
Abstract
Papilio dardanus displays female-limited polymorphic mimicry of multiple model species. Butterfly wing shape is species-specific and can influence mimetic signaling, but has not been characterized in this species. We used elliptical fourier analysis to investigate whether mimetic P. dardanus female forms have converged on the wing shape of their respective models. Although both models and mimics varied in forewing and hind wing shape, we found no evidence of forewing shape convergence between them. Overall, forewings did not differ in shape between sexes in P. dardanus, nor in four non-mimetic Papilio used for comparison. Similarly, there were no hind wing differences between the sexes in the four non-mimetic Papilio. However, P. dardanus hind wings varied significantly between mimetic females and non-mimetic individuals suggesting that, in addition to wing color pattern, the evolution of mimicry has led to changes in hind wing shape in P. dardanus.
Recommended Citation
Hegedus, Miles, "Wing shape variation in the mimetic butterfly Papilio dardanus (Papilionidae) and its unpalatable nymphalid models" (2017). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 2410.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/2410
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.