Evidence for morph-specific substrate choice in a green-brown polymorphic grasshopper.

ABSTRACT: Orthopteran insects are characterized by high variability in body coloration, in particular featuring a widespread green-brown color polymorphism. The mechanisms that contribute to the maintenance of this apparently balanced polymorphism are not yet understood. To investigate whether morph-dependent microhabitat choice might contribute to the continued coexistence of multiple morphs, we studied substrate choice in the meadow grasshopper Pseudochorthippus parallelus. The meadow grasshopper occurs in multiple discrete, genetically determined color morphs that range from uniform brown to uniform green. We tested whether three common morphs preferentially choose differently colored backgrounds in an experimental arena. We found that a preference for green backgrounds was most pronounced

SUBMITTER: Heinze P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8857936 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan-Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature