This butterfly has been photographed in different seasons with variations in underside wing pattern. Please clarify me the reasons of these variations. If you have any relevant literature please share me.
Dear Singh, this is classical example of seasonal polyphenism. The phenomenon is known in many organisms, but is generally most knonw in butterflies. Classical exampl from Oriental regions is Junonia almana, where the pattern in dry and wet season forms are similar to your Doleschallia
The degree of shade is determined by humidity at the time of emergence from the pupa, so that pale individuals emerge during the dry season and dark ones during the wet season. This is directly relevant to the shade of brown of the background (i.e. dry leaves) against which they wish to camouflage themselves. Besides this, there seem to be some 'family trends', where all members of a batch of eggs would have say, the pale and dark pattern in your top right photo, while another 'family' would have the uniform brown shade of your top left photo. With these little variations, they manage the need for individuals not to look identical, which greatly aids their survival strategy.
This type of variation is known as seasonal polyphenism in butterflies. means they can change their wing colour according to season known as dry season form and another is wet season form. Dry season forms are mostly darker in appearance then dry season form. Darker colour or spots in wings help them to absorb more radiation from the sun during monsoon. In dry season, wings have dull colour which helps in camouflage with the surrounding. In other words we can say it is a kind of adaptation in butterflies to cope up with the environmental variations. Various examples of polyphenism seen in Eurema hacabe, Pontia sp., Spindasis elma, Ypthima enica etc.
http://mail.zoologi.su.se/research/tullberg/papers/04-AB-68.pdf
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2462402?sid=21105779950443&uid=4&uid=3738256&uid=2
These articles may help you to understand the effect of climatic factors on seasonal polyphenism:
1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225090382_Population_dynamics_and_seasonalpolyphenism_of_Chilades_pandavabutterfly_Lycaenidae_in_central_India?ev=prf_pub
2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225089977_Polyommatine_wing_pattern_elements_and_seasonal_polyphenism_of_the_Indian_Chilades_pandava_butterfly_Lepidoptera_Lycaenidae?ev=prf_pub
Article Population dynamics and seasonal polyphenism of Chilades pan...
Article Polyommatine wing pattern elements and seasonal polyphenism ...
Perhaps the differences are due to the environment. There are, for example, clear differences. cabbage butter fly, male and female, whose colors change according to the nature of the environment. in wet condition on winter the color dark while sumer no dark
Occurrence this variation on butterflies because the adjustment to its environment so that it can facilitate them in activities, such as absorbing heat according to the season and others
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