Distributional evidence for thermal melanic color forms in Philaenus spumarius, the polymorphic spittlebug [North America]

In North America four of five dark color forms of the spittlebug Philaenus spumarius L. (Homoptera: Aphrophoridae) are more common in northern parts of its range. The combined frequency of these four forms (lateralis, flavicollis, leucocephalus and leucophthalmus) is negatively correlated with Septe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American midland naturalist 1984, Vol.111 (2), p.288-295
Main Author: Thompson, Vinton
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptive polymorphism
Aphrophoridae
Colors
Female animals
Frequency ranges
Ice
Linear regression
Meadows
Melanosis
Phenotypes
Regression coefficients
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Summary:In North America four of five dark color forms of the spittlebug Philaenus spumarius L. (Homoptera: Aphrophoridae) are more common in northern parts of its range. The combined frequency of these four forms (lateralis, flavicollis, leucocephalus and leucophthalmus) is negatively correlated with September temperature and, for a given latitude, cooler sites tend to exhibit higher frequencies. It is suggested that selection for thermal melanism has influenced the distribution of these forms. The fifth dark form (marginellus) increases in frequency toward the S.
ISSN:0003-0031
1938-4238
DOI:10.2307/2425323