Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 101. (Budapest 2009)

Bálint, Zs., Moser, A., Kertész, K., Biró, L. P. & Parker, A. R.: A supposition: structural colours resulting from both natural and sexual selection on an individual wing in the butterfly genus Cyanophrys (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATIONALIS HUNGARICI Volume 10

1 Budapest, 200

9 pp. 63-130 A supposition: structural colours resulting from both natural and sexual selection on an individual wing in the butterfly genus Cyanophrys (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) Zs. BÁLINT,

1 A. MOSER,

2 K. KERTÉSZ,

3 L. P. BÍRÓ

3 & A. R. PARKER

4 ' Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, H-1088 Budapest, Baross utca 13, Hungary. E-mail: balint@nhmus.hu 2 Research Associate, Pontifíca Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Rotermund 1045, 93030-000 Säo Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. E-mail: a.moser@ensinger.com.br 1 Department ofNanotechnology, Research Institute for Technical Physics and Material Science, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1525 Budapest, FOB 49, Hungary. E-mails: biro@mfa.kfki.hu, kertesz@mfa.kfki.hu ' Department of Zoology, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SJV7 5BD, United Kingdom. E-mail: andrew.parker@green.ox.ac.uk Abstract - Spectral measurements of 29 individuals from five superficially similar species of Cyanophrys CLENCH, 1961 reveal that the blue structural colour of the dorsal fore wings is species and sex dependent, while the green structural colour of the ventral hind wings is mutual. The results suggest that the blue colouration functions as a conspecific signal during courtship and/or mate recognition, considering also that several species of Cyanophrys co-exist in the same environment and appear morphologically similar. The resting places of the females and perching sites of the males of Cyanophrys are usually green leaf surfaces. While resting/perching their wings are closed. Therefore the ventral green colouration probably serves a generalized camouflage function. Consequently the nanostructures responsible for the blue colouration are most probably under the influence of sexual selection, whereas those causing the green colour are affected by natural selection. With 26 figures and one table. Key words - Butterflies, structural colour, photonics, nanostructures, natural selection, sexual selection. Annls hist.-nat. Mus. natn. bung. 101, 2009