Morphometric analysis, mimicry, and color polymorphism in five species of Chauliognathus Hentz (Coleoptera, Cantharidae)

Machado, Vilmar; Araújo, Aldo M. de; Mosmann, Cleri S.

doi:10.1590/S0101-81752001000300007

Abstract

This study presents data on morphometric variation for length and width of elytra in tive sympatric species of the genus Chauliognathus Hentz, 1830: C. flavipes Fabricius, 1781, C. octomaculatus Pie, 1915, C. expansus Waterhouse, 1878, C. fallax Germar, 1824 and C. lineatus Zwetsch & Machado, 2000. The meaning of this variation is discussed in the light of the theory of mimicry and visual communication between prey and predator. Females are larger than males in all species, except C. expansus. The analysis of variance for length of elytron as well as for width showed that the differences between species are significant for males and females; significant interaction (sex x species) was also found. The similarity in color pattern of these species, as well as similarities in the morphometric analysis, suggests that they could form a mimetic ring of the Müllerian type, which the authors suggest be called, a "yellow-black" complex.

Coleoptera; Cantharidae; Chauliognathus; morphometry; color polymorphism

Morphometric analysis, mimicry, and color polymorphism in five species of Chauliognathus Hentz (Coleoptera, Cantharidae)

Vilmar Machado^I; Aldo M. de Araújo^II; Cleri S. Mosmann^I

^ILaboratório de Genética, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos. Caixa Postal 275, 93022-000 São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. E-mail: machado@bios.unisinos.br

^IIDepartamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Caixa Postal 15053, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. E-mail: aldomel@portoweb.com.br

ABSTRACT

This study presents data on morphometric variation for length and width of elytra in tive sympatric species of the genus Chauliognathus Hentz, 1830: C. flavipes Fabricius, 1781, C. octomaculatus Pie, 1915, C. expansus Waterhouse, 1878, C. fallax Germar, 1824 and C. lineatus Zwetsch & Machado, 2000. The meaning of this variation is discussed in the light of the theory of mimicry and visual communication between prey and predator. Females are larger than males in all species, except C. expansus. The analysis of variance for length of elytron as well as for width showed that the differences between species are significant for males and females; significant interaction (sex x species) was also found. The similarity in color pattern of these species, as well as similarities in the morphometric analysis, suggests that they could form a mimetic ring of the Müllerian type, which the authors suggest be called, a "yellow-black" complex.

Key words: Coleoptera, Cantharidae, Chauliognathus, morphometry, color polymorphism

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. Thanks are due to Conselho de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and to Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos (FINEP) for the financial support.

Recebido em 29.VI.2000; aceito em 16.VII.2001.

BROWN JR., K.S. & W. BENSON. 1974. Adaptive polymorphism associated with multiple Müllerian mimicry in Heliconius numata (Lepid. Nymph.). Biotropica 6(4):205-228.
BROWN, W.V., M.J. LACEY & B.P. MOORE. 1988. Dihydromatricariate-based triglycerides, glyceride ethers, and waxes in the Australian soldier beetle, Chauliognathus lugubris (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) Jour. Chem. Ecol. 14(2):411-423.
DELKESKAMP, K. 1939. Coleopterorum Catalogus. Pars 165. Cantharidae. Gravenhage, Verlag für Naturwissenschaften, W. Junk Ed., 356p.
DIEHL-FLEIG, E. & A.M. ARAÚJO. 1991. O polimorfismo cromático em uma população natural de Chauliognathus fallax (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) do Rio Grande do Sul. Rev. Brasil. Biol. 51(3):515-520.
EDMUNDS, M. 1974. Defense in animals. New York, Longman, 357p.
EISNER, T.; D. HILL; M. GOETZ; S. JAIN; D. ALSOP; S. CAMAZINE & J. MEINWALD. 1981. Antifeedant action of Z-dihidromatricaria acid from soldier beetles (Chauliognathus spp). Jour. Chem. Ecol. 7:1148-1158.
ENDLER, J.A. 1980. Natural selection on color pattems in Poecilia reticulata. Evolution 34(1):76-91.
______1988. Frequency-dependent predation, crypsis and aposematic coloration. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. (B319):505-523.
HOWARD, D.J. & W.M. SHIELDS. 1990. Patterns of genetic variation within and among species of Chauliognathus (Coleoptera: Cantharidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 83(3):326-334.
IKIN, M. & J.R.G. TURNER. 1972. Experiments on mimicry: Gestalt and evolution of genetic linkage. Nature 239:525-527.
MACHADO, V. & A.M. ARAÚJO. 1994-1995. The colour polymorphism in Chaliognathus flavipes (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) 1. Geographic and temporal variation. Evol. Biológica 8/9:127-139.
______. 1998. Padrões de emergência em populações naturais de duas espécies de Chauliognathus (Coleoptera, Cantharidae). Revta bras. Ent. 41(2-4):235-238.
______. 1999. Color polymorphism in Chauliognathus flavipes Fabricius (Coleoptera, Cantharidae). II. Patterns of emergence of morphs and mating systems. Revta bras. Zool. 16(2):441-446.
MASON, L.G. 1976. Color variation and bisexual Müellerian mimicry in an aposematic insect. Evolution 30:841-846.
MCCAULEY, D.E. & M.J. WADE. 1978. Female choice and mating structure of a natural population of the soldier beetle, Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus. Evolution, 32(4):771-775.
MCLAIN, D.K. 1982. Density dependent sexual selection and positive phenotypic assortative mating in natural population of the soldier beetle, Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus. Evolution 36(6):1227-1235.
MCLAIN, D.K. 1985. Clinal variation in morphology and assortative mating in the soldier beetle, Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus (Coleoptera: Cantharidae). Biol. Jour. Linn. Soc. 25:105-117.
______. 1986. Niche differentiation and the evolution of ethological isolation in a soldier beetle hybrid zone. Oikos 47: 159-167.
MEINWALD, J.; Y.C. MEINWALD; A.M. CHALMERS & T. EISNER. 1968. Dihydromatricaria acid: acetylenic acid secreted by soldier beetle. Science 160: 890-892
MOORE, B.P. & W.V. BROWN. 1978. Precoccineline and related alkaloids in the Australian soldier beetle, Chauliognathus pulchellus (Coleoptera: Cantharidae). Insect Biochem. 8: 393-395.
OWEN, D.F. 1970. Mimetic polymorphism and palatability spectrum. Oikos 21:33-336.
PAPAGEORGIS, C. 1975. Mimicry in neotropical butterflies. Amer. Scient. 63:522-32.
PILECKI, E. & P.O'DONALD. 1971. The effects of predation on artificial mimetic polymorphisms with perfect and imperfect mimics at varying frequencies. Evolution 25:365-370.
TURNER, J.R.G. 1977. Buttertly mimicry: The genetical evolution of an adaptation. Evol. Biol. 10:163-203
ZWETSCH, A. & V. MACHADO. 2000. Estudo morfológico do edeago das espécies de Chauliognathus Hentz, 1830 (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) do complexo "amarelo-preto". Acta Biol. Leopoldensia, São Leopoldo, 22(2):193-203.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
08 May 2009
Date of issue
Sept 2001

History

Accepted
16 July 2001
Received
29 June 2000

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

[1] BROWN JR., K.S. & W. BENSON. 1974. Adaptive polymorphism associated with multiple Müllerian mimicry in Heliconius numata (Lepid. Nymph.). Biotropica 6(4):205-228.

[2] BROWN, W.V., M.J. LACEY & B.P. MOORE. 1988. Dihydromatricariate-based triglycerides, glyceride ethers, and waxes in the Australian soldier beetle, Chauliognathus lugubris (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) Jour. Chem. Ecol. 14(2):411-423.

[3] DELKESKAMP, K. 1939. Coleopterorum Catalogus. Pars 165. Cantharidae. Gravenhage, Verlag für Naturwissenschaften, W. Junk Ed., 356p.

[4] DIEHL-FLEIG, E. & A.M. ARAÚJO. 1991. O polimorfismo cromático em uma população natural de Chauliognathus fallax (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) do Rio Grande do Sul. Rev. Brasil. Biol. 51(3):515-520.

[5] EDMUNDS, M. 1974. Defense in animals. New York, Longman, 357p.

[6] EISNER, T.; D. HILL; M. GOETZ; S. JAIN; D. ALSOP; S. CAMAZINE & J. MEINWALD. 1981. Antifeedant action of Z-dihidromatricaria acid from soldier beetles (Chauliognathus spp). Jour. Chem. Ecol. 7:1148-1158.

[7] ENDLER, J.A. 1980. Natural selection on color pattems in Poecilia reticulata. Evolution 34(1):76-91.

[8] ______1988. Frequency-dependent predation, crypsis and aposematic coloration. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. (B319):505-523.

[9] HOWARD, D.J. & W.M. SHIELDS. 1990. Patterns of genetic variation within and among species of Chauliognathus (Coleoptera: Cantharidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 83(3):326-334.

[10] IKIN, M. & J.R.G. TURNER. 1972. Experiments on mimicry: Gestalt and evolution of genetic linkage. Nature 239:525-527.

[11] MACHADO, V. & A.M. ARAÚJO. 1994-1995. The colour polymorphism in Chaliognathus flavipes (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) 1. Geographic and temporal variation. Evol. Biológica 8/9:127-139.

[12] ______. 1998. Padrões de emergência em populações naturais de duas espécies de Chauliognathus (Coleoptera, Cantharidae). Revta bras. Ent. 41(2-4):235-238.

[13] ______. 1999. Color polymorphism in Chauliognathus flavipes Fabricius (Coleoptera, Cantharidae). II. Patterns of emergence of morphs and mating systems. Revta bras. Zool. 16(2):441-446.

[14] MASON, L.G. 1976. Color variation and bisexual Müellerian mimicry in an aposematic insect. Evolution 30:841-846.

[15] MCCAULEY, D.E. & M.J. WADE. 1978. Female choice and mating structure of a natural population of the soldier beetle, Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus. Evolution, 32(4):771-775.

[16] MCLAIN, D.K. 1982. Density dependent sexual selection and positive phenotypic assortative mating in natural population of the soldier beetle, Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus. Evolution 36(6):1227-1235.

[17] MCLAIN, D.K. 1985. Clinal variation in morphology and assortative mating in the soldier beetle, Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus (Coleoptera: Cantharidae). Biol. Jour. Linn. Soc. 25:105-117.

[18] ______. 1986. Niche differentiation and the evolution of ethological isolation in a soldier beetle hybrid zone. Oikos 47: 159-167.

[19] MEINWALD, J.; Y.C. MEINWALD; A.M. CHALMERS & T. EISNER. 1968. Dihydromatricaria acid: acetylenic acid secreted by soldier beetle. Science 160: 890-892

[20] MOORE, B.P. & W.V. BROWN. 1978. Precoccineline and related alkaloids in the Australian soldier beetle, Chauliognathus pulchellus (Coleoptera: Cantharidae). Insect Biochem. 8: 393-395.

[21] OWEN, D.F. 1970. Mimetic polymorphism and palatability spectrum. Oikos 21:33-336.

[22] PAPAGEORGIS, C. 1975. Mimicry in neotropical butterflies. Amer. Scient. 63:522-32.

[23] PILECKI, E. & P.O'DONALD. 1971. The effects of predation on artificial mimetic polymorphisms with perfect and imperfect mimics at varying frequencies. Evolution 25:365-370.

[24] TURNER, J.R.G. 1977. Buttertly mimicry: The genetical evolution of an adaptation. Evol. Biol. 10:163-203

[25] ZWETSCH, A. & V. MACHADO. 2000. Estudo morfológico do edeago das espécies de Chauliognathus Hentz, 1830 (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) do complexo "amarelo-preto". Acta Biol. Leopoldensia, São Leopoldo, 22(2):193-203.