Daphnis nerii: aberrant female or gynandromorph?

[atlasct]

This is the second year I buy D. nerii pupae from the same dealer with imperfect emerging adults. This time, apart those with partially deformed wings, I found one with wings and thorax differently coloured between right and left sides.
Any opinion would be appreciated.

Attachments:

[africaone]

more an aberation ! nice !

[thanos]

Rarely, a light brown form (without the usual green, just like the coloration on the left forewing of your female) of this species occurs. I have one brown female in my collection. So, this is an aberrant female where are mixed the 2 color forms. Definitely not a gynandromorph.


Thanos

[jensb]

I now some one ho bred them had the luck to have a total brown like you thanos.
Really rare but also nice.

Greets jens

[papilio28570]

Interesting that just the left fore-wing appears affected. The hind-wing looks to be normal or near normal. This suggests to me that one side of the pupa was exposed to some unknown factor that affected that left wing because it is the fore-wing cases that are externally visible in the pupa stage.

[wollastoni]

papilio28570 <I doubt this is an external factor on the pupa. This bilateral form suggests more a genetic issue.

[africaone]

genetic had probably also effected other parts !
I thinks better papilio28570 hypothesis !

[jamesd]

Dec 11, 2012 1:20:29 GMT -8 africaone said:

genetic had probably also effected other parts !

Why is this necessarily so? I don't intend to debate, but the perfect distinction between the two sides of the thorax leads me to favour Wollastoni's hypothesis. It depends on the knowledge of whether or not the forms in this species are predetermined by genetics only (in which case papilio28570's idea would be invalidated) or influenced by the environment.

An interesting aberration whatever the cause.

[boogtwo]

As many here know, there are many species that have well known distinct forms that are in fact influenced by environmental conditions. Typically seen during different periods of their annual season and in different broods. Wet verses dry season, early verses late, etc. Some specimens have also been collected that have the traits of two distinct forms... intergrades between each of them, and the traits typiclly bilateral. I think of aberrations as being created when something went wrong during development at the right time(s), and can be genetic, environmental, disease or injury induced.

Since this species can have multiple broods per season that span from months to year-round depending on where, there is the possibility of more than one distinct form. However, it's more likely just normal species variation that can be from shades of brown to with varying degrees a green cast. Seems more logical to me as any "color" can be found in any month of the season. For example, I personally have seen/collected this species in Hawaii at variuos times of the year. Mostly late summer to late winter as that is when I most often went there. They ran from pale to dark brown to having a green cast... and all could be seen on the same trip.

What may appear to be rare in some locations doesn't mean rare in others IOW.

[steve]

It's a genetic issue arising from the second cell division. The front left quarter has coded for the brown form which makes sense when you consider that full expression of that genetic information results in a brown form specimen. Just like a mosaic gynandromorph without the gender combination. I agree it is not an environmental cause. Transcription mistakes are usually fatal but the few that get through are truly spectacular.

[africaone]

in the case of genetic cause, why isn't the entire wing concerned and why is the cancelled part of the thorax not discolored ?

[steve]

looks like the whole left fore-wing is affected.

[thanos]

Not the whole, the apex and submarginal area keep the usual green coloration.