Pupal color variations in Common mormon.
Green pre-pupa: brown pupa
Observations from CUBE Homelab Cherukkad Kozhikode.
Date:19/08/2024
Photo: Theertha
Papilio polytes, commonly known as the Common Mormon, Commonly it has green-colored pupae. However, I observed a brown-colored pupa in my homelab.
Pupal color variations in Common mormon.
Green pre-pupa: Green pupa
Observations from CUBE Homelab Cherukkad Kozhikode.
Date:31/07/2024
Photo: Theertha
Papilio polytes, commonly known as the Common Mormon, Commonly it has green-colored pupae. However, I observed a brown-colored pupa in my homelab.
What may be the reason of the change in the pupal color ? C1 and C2 caterpillar had green colored pupa but C3 is looks like a hard stick !?
Place : Cherukkad, Kozhikode
Date:27/01/2024
Theertha
C1
C2
C3
[29/07, 1:42 pm] Theertha: Different pupal colour observed in Common mormon at CUBE Homelab cherukkad Kozhikode , January 2024.Photo: Theertha
[29/07, 1:42 pm] Theertha: Pupal Color Change: Butterfly
Recently, I again observed brown-colored pupa in a Common Mormon.
Pupal colour change in Common mormon:
A pupa formed on 10/08/2024. Using a paper slip, I transferred the newly formed pupa to a plastic box. I observed posterior movement in the pupa.
Yesterday’s s observations (11/08/2024) show that the pupa’s color has changed from green to brownish green . You might wonder if color change is common. To provide context, I am also sharing observations of another pupa that formed on 01/08/2024 and is still green.
Hypothesis: Newly formed pupae may change color if they perceive a threat.
Experimental Design:
I have three 5th instar larvae of the Common Mormon and have placed them in a box containing stones to observe the color of the pupae. And , I will introduce minor disturbances when the pupae are just forming.
Place : Cherukkad, Kozhikode.
Date:12/08/2024.
Photo: Theertha.
CUBE Homelab cherukkad Kozhikode.
Objective: To study the pupal color switch in Papilio butterflies.
The following are pupae formed in my homelab. The first two rows of caterpillars were collected from curry leaves, and the third row from lemon plants. All caterpillars were fed both lemon and curry leaves.
These are the other caterpillars collected from the CUBE Homelab, Cherukkad, Kozhikode.
Related Questions:
1)Does pupal color correlate with the sex of the butterfly?
I observed that green pupae of the Common Mormon had both male and female butterflies, and also in brown pupae too.
Objective: To find the reason behind the pupal color switch in Papilio polytes.
One paper suggested that a rough surface leads to a brown pupa, whereas a smooth surface results in a green pupa.
Green or brown appearance of pupae depends mainly on the pigments localized in the cuticle surface. To further characterize the pigments, we treated the cuticles with 6N HCl at 90°C for 120.
We found that the green color in green pupae was lost upon this treatment, while the brown color of brown pupae was retained, suggesting that the brown color but not the green color is mainly composed of melanin-related pigment (Shirataki et al., 2010). The above observation indicates that green and brown pupal coloration (pigment formation) occurs at the exterior of the cuticle (epicuticle) mainly after P (Figure 2C).
*Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Pupal Protective Color Switch in Papilio polytes (Common mormon). Butterflies : These analyses revealed that the brown pupal color is regulated mainly by melanin synthesis genes, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and laccase 2. In contrast, the green pupal color was suggested to be formed mainly through the expression of both multiple bilin binding protein (BBP)-related genes responsible for blue pigmentation and multiple juvenile hormone binding protein (JHBP)-related genes responsible for yellow pigmentation.
I created a setup to test this hypothesis.
Pupal Color Change in Common Mormon:
Hypothesis: Newly formed pupae will change color if they are placed on a rough surface.
Experimental Design:
I have three 5th instar larvae of the Common Mormon, which I have placed in a box containing stones to observe the color of the pupae. The larvae are being fed lemon leaves.
Control: One 5th instar larva is placed in a separate plastic box and fed lemon leaves.
Place: Cherukkad, Kozhikode
Date: 12/08/2024
Photo: Theertha
CUBE Homelab, Cherukkad, Kozhikode.
Control: One 5th instar larva is placed in a separate plastic box.
Place: Cherukkad, Kozhikode
Date: 12/08/2024
Photo: Theertha
CUBE Homelab, Cherukkad, Kozhikode
Three 5th instar larva of common mormon placed in a box with stones.observations: one turned into brownish pupae.
Place: Cherukkad, Kozhikode
Date: 14/08/2024
Photo: Theertha
CUBE Homelab, Cherukkad, Kozhikode
Three 5th instar larva of common mormon placed in a box with stones.
Place: Cherukkad, Kozhikode
Date: 15/08/2024.Observations:Two brownish pupae formed in the setup.
Photo: Theertha
CUBE Homelab, Cherukkad, Kozhikode
Breaking news
The all three larva placed in the stone box turned to brown colored pupae.
Date: 16/08/2024
Photo: Theertha
CUBE Homelab, Cherukkad, Kozhikode
Breaking news
The control group, which only had leaves, showed that the caterpillar left the box at night and formed a pre-pupa on the wall.
Date: 14/08/2024
Photo: Theertha
CUBE Homelab, Cherukkad, Kozhikode
Breaking news
Control setup:Observed the green colored pupae.
Date: 15/08/2024
Photo: Theertha
CUBE Homelab, Cherukkad, Kozhikode
More photos of the same:
Green one : Control,kept in smooth surface box
3brown pupa:Tests,Placed caterpillar in round rocks
Second set of experiments
Objectives:
1)To observe the pupal color of the Common mormon on a rough surface.
2)To observe if the pupal color and the surrounding environment have similar colors.
Hypothesis:
1)A rough surface will result in a brown pupal color.
2)Green colored rough surface will results in a brown pupal color.
Experimental Setup
Control: Two 5th instar larvae of Common Mormon are placed in a plastic box, with lemon plants provided as food.
Test: Two 5th instar larvae of Common Mormon are placed in a plastic box with the surface covered by a scrubber sheet.
Date of Setup: 16/08/2024
Place: Cherukkad Kozhikode
Photo: Theertha
Collaborators :Amritha ,Suma,Batul ma’am, and others
Test : Contains two 5th instar larva in a rough surface box.
Date of Setup: 16/08/2024
Place: Cherukkad Kozhikode
Photo: Theertha .
Control: Contains two 5th instar larva in rough surface box.
Date of Setup: 16/08/2024
Place: Cherukkad Kozhikode
Photo: Theertha .
Updates:
Test: 5th instar Caterpillars of the Common mormon are kept on a dark green, rough surface.
Observation:Both are in the caterpillar stage.
Date:17/08/2024
Place: Cherukkad Kozhikode
Photo: Theertha
Updates:
Control:5th instar Caterpillars of the Common mormon are kept in a smooth ,white surface.
Observation:Both are in the caterpillar stage.
Date:17/08/2024
Place: Cherukkad Kozhikode
Photo: Theertha
Updates:
Test: 5th instar Caterpillars of the Common mormon are kept on a dark green, rough surface.
Observation:Both are in the caterpillar stage.
Date:18/08/2024
Place: Cherukkad Kozhikode
Photo: Theertha
Updates:
Control:5th instar Caterpillars of the Common mormon are kept in a smooth ,white surface.
Observation:one formed pre Pupae at 4.54pm.
Date:18/08/2024
Place: Cherukkad Kozhikode
Photo: Theertha
Updates:
Test: 5th instar Caterpillars of the Common mormon are kept on a dark green, rough surface.
Observation:one formed pre Pupae at 8am.
Date:19/08/2024
Place: Cherukkad Kozhikode
Photo: Theertha
