This is very interesting record. Few suggestions from my side. Please keep a track whether they are breeding and producing further generations of same form or normal forms. Sustained data from the area is must which might later on help to whittle down to the probable cause.
In my opinion this appears to be some mutant crossover causing such aberration of colors which may not significantly will play role in speciation unless there is some degree of changed morphology of genitalia. Regards, Amol Patwardhan www.amolpatwardhan.blogspot.com ________________________________ From: Parag Rangnekar <[email protected]> To: Butterfly India <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 2:51 PM Subject: [ButterflyIndia] Variation in Grass Yellow Hi, Variations in Grass Yellow seen near Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary in South Goa along with Dr. Milind Bhakare and Ravindar Bhambure. KK has identified it as a Common Grass Yellow. Literature says that such variations are induced due to heat or cold shock during larval or pupal stages. Wonder what shock this guys got in our balanced environmental conditions. Maybe excess rainfall this year?? Also variations are attributed to a one-off individual. We saw 4 specimen at the same location. What do you think?? regards Parag Rangnekar "Man is but a small strand in the web of life, what he does to the web he does to himself....." -- Enjoy
