Spatiotemperal variation in butterfly wing pattern colouration – are there latitudinal, regional or temporal variation in female wing colouration in Polyommatus icarus?
This study explores the roles of genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity for explaining patterns of local wing colour variation in the common blue butterfly, Polyommatus icarus. Polyommatus icarus is one of the most widespread species of butterflies in Europe. Across its range, the female varies a lot in its dorsal colour, from all brown to almost totally blue. It has been suggested that, in S