|
|
Post by Crake on Feb 21, 2021 20:33:14 GMT -8
Here is an image of a male Danaus plexippus I collected today. Note the disproportionately large left hindwing and its diminutive size. Would its wing condition be considered aberrant? I've also provided a comparison photo to another (larger) male. It is slightly obscured by the pinning strips. (sorry)  Comparison:  |
|
|
|
|
|
Post by Paul K on Feb 21, 2021 21:29:47 GMT -8
It occurs quite often that one wing is significantly smaller.
You can call this aberrant too.
PS
You shouldn’t use wax paper, it may stain the wings, glassine paper or cellophane is more suitable for pinning.
|
|
|
|
Post by Crake on Feb 22, 2021 9:50:36 GMT -8
It occurs quite often that one wing is significantly smaller. You can call this aberrant too. PS You shouldn’t use wax paper, it may stain the wings, glassine paper or cellophane is more suitable for pinning. Thanks for the tip. Turns out the paper I used was glassine; I must have gotten mixed up because I keep it in the same drawer as the wax paper. |
|
|
|
Post by radusho on Feb 22, 2021 9:59:38 GMT -8
A wing malformation. The term aberration should be used in an association with a wing pattern.
|
|
|
|
Post by yorky on Feb 22, 2021 10:24:19 GMT -8
From my back garden, not only are the wings a different size but also the antenna. Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by Crake on Feb 22, 2021 15:34:32 GMT -8
From my back garden, not only are the wings a different size but also the antenna. Interesting. I've never noticed significant differences in antenna length before. From your experiences, how common are the more noticeable wing malformations? |
|
|
|
|
|
Post by gaspipe on Feb 22, 2021 16:21:17 GMT -8
My guess is asymmetry of varying degrees may be the normal . It is very common in human facial features.
|
|
|
|
Post by radusho on Feb 23, 2021 0:22:11 GMT -8
From my back garden, not only are the wings a different size but also the antenna. Interesting. I've never noticed significant differences in antenna length before. From your experiences, how common are the more noticeable wing malformations? It is always a result of wrong folding of parts when pupa is forming, short wings, short antena. Sadly some people often try to find more special than it really is and think it is a gynandromorph... |
|
|
|
Post by Adam Cotton on Feb 23, 2021 0:51:41 GMT -8
Some degree of asymmetry is not overly rare, but not common either. It is caused by incomplete formation of the pupal case. All of the adult appendages are delineated on formation of the pupa, which can be viewed as a mold for the adult. So if the pupal wing case on one side does not completely cover the relevant area of the pupa that wing will be smaller than normal or misshapen when the butterfly emerges and expands its wings. Of course in extreme cases the adult is unable to fly, so those are not seen in the wild.
Similarly antennae and legs are all formed from the pupal mold, so if one antennal sheath is shorter than normal in the pupa the resulting antenna will be shorter than the one on the other side.
Adam.
|
|
