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Ecological significance of the wing polymorphism of the oriental chinch bug, Cavelerius saccharivorus Okajima (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae)
Author(s) -
Fujisaki Kenji
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
population ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1438-390X
pISSN - 1438-3896
DOI - 10.1007/bf02515485
Subject(s) - lygaeidae , biology , heteroptera , wing , ecology , bimodality , trait , zoology , physics , quantum mechanics , galaxy , engineering , aerospace engineering , computer science , programming language
Summary The wing polymorphism of the oriental chinch bug, Cavelerius saccharivorus , was studied in relation to its reproductive strategy. The frequency distribution of wing form in terms of the relative wing length (R.W.L.) changed with increase in the population density from a single modality biased toward the brachypterous form to bimodality with both macropterous and more extreme brachypterous forms. Since some evidences in the field showed that fliers are limited to macropters, such a bimodality of wing form indicated that C. saccharivorus employs a mixed strategy with some portion of adults staying on in the same habitat, whereas the rest disperse. Moreover, macropters were larger in body size than brachypters emerging in high density populations, although smaller than brachypters emerging in low density populations. Larger body size as well as the delay of ovarian maturation in macropters was considered to be a beneficial trait for migratory behaviour.