Summary
The wing-polymorphic ground beetle Pogonus chalceus MARSHAM was subjected to crossbreeding experiments under different laboratory conditions in order to estimate the genetic and environmental contributions to the total phenotypic variance in different morphological traits related to relative wing development and body size. Heritability of relative wing development appears to be strong. Beetle size also seems genetically determined in some cases, but separation of male and female parent contribution invariably shows a maternal effect. These results are tested in a breeding experiment with a high number of progeny from one parental pair, reared at two temperatures and at two levels of food supply. Relative wing development is not influenced by these environmental conditions, as expected, but different temperatures add significant variance to the body size values. The experimental results are used to explain interdemic variation in these morphological traits, as observed in three isolated field populations. The reproductive effort under optimum breeding conditions is higher in macropterous beetles than in beetles with reduced wings, but this could result from their larger body size. Migtion seems to be the most plausible underlying evolutionary mechanism for the observed wing reduction in older populations.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arthur W (1984) Mechanisms of Morphological Evolution. A combined genetic, developmental and ecological approach. John Wiley & Sons Chichester
Aukema B (1986) Winglenth determination in relation to dispersal by flight in two wing dimorphic species of Calathus Bonelli (Coleoptera, Carabidae). In: Den Boer PJ, Luff ML, Mossakowski D, Weber F (eds) Carabid Beetles, their Adaptations, Dynamics and Evolution. Fischer Stuttgart pp 91–99
Aukema B (1987) Differences in Egg production and Egg-laying Period between Long and Shortwinged Calathus erythroderus (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in relation to Wingmorph Frequencies in Natural Populations. Acta Phytopath Entom Hung 22:45–56
Ayala FJ (1982) Population and Evolutionary Genetics: A Primer The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company Menlo Park
Boag PT, Grant PR (1978) Heritability of external morphology in Darwin's finches. Nature Lond 274:793–794
Butlin RK, Hewitt GM (1986) Heritability estimates for characters under sexual selection in the grasshopper, Chorthippus brunneus. Anim Behav 34:1256–1261
Den Boer PJ, Van Huizen THP, Den Boer-Daanje W, Aukema B, Den Bieman CFM (1980) Wing polymorphism and dimorphism as stages in an evolutionary process (Coleoptera, Carabidae). Entomol Gen 6:107–134
Derr JA, Alden B, Dingle H (1981) Insect life histories in relation to migration, body size, and host plant array: A comparative study of Dysdercus. J Anim Ecol 50:181–193
Desender K (1985) Wing polymorphism and reproductive biology in the halobiont carabid beetle Pogonus chalceus (Marsham) (Coleoptera, Carabidae). Biol Jb Dodonaea 53:89–100
Desender K, Maelfait J-P, Vaneechoutte M (1986) allometry and Evolution of Hind Wing Development in Macropterous Carabid Beetles. In: Den Boer PJ, Luff ML, Mossakowski D, Weber F (eds) Carabid Beetles, their Adaptations, Dynamics and Evolution. Fischer Stuttgart pp 101–112
Dingle H (1978) Migration and Diapause in Tropical Temperate, and Island Milkweed Bugs. In: Dingle H (ed) Evolution of Insect Migration and Diapause, Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York pp 254–276
Dingle H (1986) Evolution and Genetics of Insect Migration. In Danthanarayana W (ed) Insect Flight. Dispersal and Migration, Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York pp 11–26
Doyen JT, Rogers E (1984) Environmental Determinants of Size Variation in Eusattus muricatus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) J Kans Ent Soc 57:483–489
Doyen JT, Slobodchikoff CN (1984) Evolution of microgeographic races without isolation in a coastal dune beetle. J Biogeogr 11:13–25
Ernsting G, Huyer FA (1984) A laboratory study on temperature relations of egg production and development in two related species of carabid beetle. Oecologia 62:361–367
Evans WG (1977) Geogaphic variation, distribution and taxonomic status of the intertidal insect Thalassotrechus barbarae (Horn) (coleoptera: Carabidae). Quaest Ent 13:83–90
Fairbairn DJ (1984) Microgeographic variation in body size and development time in the waterstrider, Limnoporus notabilis. Oecologia 61:126–133
Falconer DS (1981) Introduction to Quantitative Genetics, 2nd edition Longman London
Garnett MC (1981) Body size, its heritability and influence on juvenile survival among Great Tits Parus major. Ibis 123:31–41
Hailman JP (1986) The heritability concept applied to wild birds. Curr Ornithol 4:71–95
Harrison RG (1980) Dispersal polymorphisms in insects. Ann Rev Ecol Syst 11:95–118
Jackson DJ (1933) Observations on the flight muscles of Sitona weevils. Ann Appl Biol 20:731–769
Jaenike J (1982) On the Relation between Genetic and Environmental Variability in Animals. J Mol Evol 18:310–314
Janssen GM (1986) Genetische ecologie van springstaarten. Vakbl Biol 66:224–227
Jansson A (1978a) Characteristics of Arctocorisa carinata pyrenaica Poisson (Het., Corixidae) within the variation of the nominate form. Ann Ent Fenn 44:98–100
Jansson A (1978b) Viability of progeny in experimental crosses between geographically isolated populations of Arctocorisa carinata (C. Sahlberg) (Het. Corixidae). Ann Zool Fennici 15:77–83
Jansson A, Pajunen I (1978) Morphometric Comparison of Geographically Isolated Populations of Arctocorisa carinata (C. Sahlberg) (Het., Corixidae). Ann Zool Fennici 15:132–142
Juliano SA (1983) Body size, dispersal ability and range size in North American species of Brachinus (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Coleopts Bull 37:232–238
Langor DW, Larson DJ (1983) Alary polymorphism and life history of a colonizing ground beetle, Bembidion lampros Herbst (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Coleopts Bull 37:365–377
Liebherr JK, Hajek AE (1986) Geographic Variation in Flight Wing Development and Body Size of the Tule Beetle, Tanystoma maculicolle (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Pan-Pacif Ent 62:13–22
Lindroth CH (1946) Inheritance of wing dimorphism in Pterostichus anthracinus Ill. Hereditas 32:37–40
Mossakowski D (1971) Zur Variabilität isolierter Populationen von Carabus arcensis Hbst. (Coleoptera). Z Zool Syst Evolut-forsch 9:81–106
Noonan GR (1982) The subgenus Anisotarsus Chaudoir (genus Notobia Perty; Coleoptera: Carabidae) in South America. Coleopts Bull 36:531–548
Paarmann W (1976) The Annual Periodicity of the Polyvoltime Ground Beetle Pogonus chalceus Marsh. (Col., Carabidae) and its Control by Environmental Factors. Zool Anz 196:150–160
Roff DA (1984) The cost of being able to fly: a study of wing polymorphism in two species of crickets. Oecologia 63:30–37
Roff DA (1986) The evolution of wing dimorphism in insects. Evolution 40:1009–1020
Sharova IH, Sedov AM (1972) Geographical variability of Pterostichus melanarius (Coleoptera, Carabidae). Zool Zh 51:1411–1412 (in Russian)
Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ (1981) Biometry. The Principles and Practice of Statistics in Biological Research. 2nd ed Freeman and Company San Francisco
Sota T (1986) Carabid Populations along an Altitudinal Gradient: Life History Variation of Leptocarabus kumagii (Coleoptera; Carabidae) In: Den Boer PJ, Luff ML, Mossakowski D, Weber F (eds) Carabid Beetles. Their Adaptations and Dynamics, Fischer Stuttgart pp 429–438
Stearns SC (1984) Heritability estimates for age and length at maturity in two populations of mosquitofish that shared ancestors in 1905. Evolution 38:368–375
Stein W (1973) Zur Vererbung des Flügeldimorphismus bei Apion virens Herbst (Col., Curculionidae). Z Ang Ent 74:62–63
Szyszko J (1978) Some remarks on the biometric characteristics of populations of selected Carabidae (Coleoptera) species in various forest habitats. Polskie Pismo Ent 48:49–65
Thiele HU, Kirchner H (1958) Über die Körpergröße der Gebirgsund Flachlandpopulationen einiger Laufkäfer (Carabidae). Bonn Zool Beitr 9:294–302
Van Den Heuvel MJ (1963) The effect of rearing temperature on the wing length, thorax length, leg length and ovariole number of the adult mosquito, Aedes aegypti (L.). Trans R Ent Soc Lond 115:197–216
Van Dijk ThS (1979) Reproduction of young and old females in two Carabid beetles and the relationship between the number of eggs in the ovaries and the number of eggs laid. Misc Papers LH Wageningen 18:167–184
Van Dijk ThS (1982) Individual Variability and its Significance for the Survival of Animal Populations. In: Mossakowski D, Roth G (eds) Environmental Adaptation and Evolution, Fischer Stuttgart pp 233–251
Van Noordwijk AJ (1982) Genetic Variation in Life History Traits in Natural Populations of Birds. In: Jayakar SD, Zonta L (eds) Evolution and the genetics of populations. pp 141–152
Van Noordwijk AJ (1984) Problems in the analysis of dspersal and a critique on its ‘heritability’ in the great tit. J Anim Ecol 53:533–544
Van Noordwijk AJ, Van Balen JH, Scharloo W (1981) Heritability of ecologically important traits in the great tit. In: Klomp H, Woldendorp JW (eds) The integrated study of bird populations. North-Holland Publishing Company Amsterdam pp 193–203
Young EC (1965) Teneral development in British Corixidae. Proc Roy Ent Soc London A 40:159–168
Zera AJ, Innes DJ, Saks ME (1983) Genetic and environmental determinants of wing polymorphism in the waterstrider Limnoporus canaliculatus. Evolution 37:513–522
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Desender, K. Heritability of wing development and body size in a carabid beetle, Pogonus chalceus MARSHAM, and its evolutionary significance. Oecologia 78, 513–520 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378743
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378743