Comparative Analysis of Facial Coloration between Introduced and Source Populations of the Red Wood Ant Formica paralugubris

The variation in the typical black-reddish color of red wood ants (Formica rufa group) has been recently suggested as a good indicator of habitat quality, being dependent on environmental conditions. However, the relative contribution of external factors and heritability in shaping this trait is poorly investigated. In this study, we compared the facial coloration of workers from four introduced populations of Formica paralugubris with those of the two Alpine populations from which they had been taken. We used a Relative Warp Analysis to describe the variations in the shape of this trait. We expected each introduced population to be more similar to its population of origin if the color pattern was predominantly genetically determined. On the contrary, due to the considerable differences in habitat type and climate between the Alps and the Apennines, we expected to observe differences between the introduced population and their origin population if the coloration was mostly environmentally determined. With one exception that we discuss, the results showed that ants from the two source populations had different phenotypes, and that the introduced populations had a shape similar to the population of origin, suggesting a stable genetic background. Surprisingly, the habitat type seems to have a less clear effect, even if within-population differences suggest the influence of very localized environmental factors. Finally, we found that the facial coloration shape is affected by the ant’s size, a result in line with previous studies.

Environmental conditions and male quality traits simultaneously explain variation of multiple colour signals in male lizards

Male lizards often display multiple pigment‐based and structural colour signals which may reflect various quality traits (e.g. performance, parasitism), with testosterone (T) often mediating these relationships. Furthermore, environmental conditions can explain colour signal variation by affecting processes such as signal efficacy, thermoregulation and camouflage. The relationships between colour signals, male quality traits and environmental factors have often been analysed in isolation, but simultaneous analyses are rare. Thus, the response of multiple colour signals to variation in all these factors in an integrative analysis remains to be investigated.

Here, we investigated how multiple colour signals relate to their information content, examined the role of T as a potential mediator of these relationships and how environmental factors explain colour signal variation.

We performed an integrative study to examine the covariation between three colour signals (melanin‐based black, carotenoid‐based yellow–orange and structural UV), physiological performance, parasitism, T levels and environmental factors (microclimate, forest cover) in male common lizards Zootoca vivipara from 13 populations.

We found that the three colour signals conveyed information on different aspects of male condition, supporting a multiple message hypothesis. T influenced only parasitism, suggesting that T does not directly mediate the relationships between colour signals and their information content. Moreover, colour signals became more saturated in forested habitats, suggesting an adaptation to degraded light conditions, and became generally brighter in mesic conditions, in contradiction with the thermal melanism hypothesis.

We show that distinct individual quality traits and environmental factors simultaneously explain variations of multiple colour signals with different production modes. Our study therefore highlights the complexity of colour signal evolution, involving various sets of selective pressures acting at the same time, but in different ways depending on colour production mechanism.

Climate and body size have differential roles on melanism evolution across workers in a worldwide ant genus

One of the main aspects associated with the diversity in animal colour is the variation in melanization levels. In ectotherms, melanism can be advantageous in aiding thermoregulation through heat absorption. Darker bodies may also serve as a shield from harmful UV-B radiation. Melanism may also confer protection against parasites and predators through improving immunity responses and camouflage in regions with high precipitation, with complex and shaded vegetations and greater diversity of pathogens and parasites. We studied melanism evolution in the globally distributed ant genus Pheidole under the pressures of temperature, UV-B radiation and precipitation, while considering the effects of body size and nest habit, traits that are commonly overlooked. More importantly, we account for worker caste polymorphism, which is marked by distinct roles and behaviours. We revealed for the first time distinct evolutionary trajectories for each worker subcaste. As expected, major workers from species inhabiting locations with lower temperatures and higher precipitation tend to be more melanised. Curiously, we show a slight trend where minor workers of larger species also tend to have darker bodies when inhabiting regions with higher precipitation. Lastly, we did not find evidence for the effects of UV-B radiation and nest habit in the lightness variation of workers. Our paper explores the evolution of ant melanization considering a marked ant worker polymorphism and a wide range of ecological factors. We discuss our findings under the light of the Thermal Melanism Hypothesis, the Photoprotection Hypothesis and the Gloger's Rule.

"A fly appeared": sable, a classic Drosophila mutation, maps to Yippee, a gene affecting body color, wings, and bristles

Insect body color is an easily assessed and visually engaging trait that is informative on a broad range of topics including speciation, biomaterial science, and ecdysis. Mutants of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster have been an integral part of body color research for more than a century. As a result of this long tenure, backlogs of body color mutations have remained unmapped to their genes, all while their strains have been dutifully maintained, used for recombination mapping, and part of genetics education. Stemming from a lesson plan in our undergraduate genetics class, we have mapped sable1, a dark body mutation originally described by Morgan and Bridges, to Yippee, a gene encoding a predicted member of the E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. Deficiency/duplication mapping, genetic rescue, DNA and cDNA sequencing, RT-qPCR, and 2 new CRISPR alleles indicated that sable1 is a hypomorphic Yippee mutation due to an mdg4 element insertion in the Yippee 5'-UTR. Further analysis revealed additional Yippee mutant phenotypes including curved wings, ectopic/missing bristles, delayed development, and failed adult emergence. RNAi of Yippee in the ectoderm phenocopied sable body color and most other Yippee phenotypes. Although Yippee remains functionally uncharacterized, the results presented here suggest possible connections between melanin biosynthesis, copper homeostasis, and Notch/Delta signaling; in addition, they provide insight into past studies of sable cell nonautonomy and of the genetic modifier suppressor of sable.