@article{fdi:010062078,
  title = {{G}eographic variation of melanisation patterns in a hornet species : genetic differences, climatic pressures or aposematic constraints ?},
  author = {{P}errard, {A}. and {A}rca, {M}ariangela and {R}ome, {Q}. and {M}uller, {F}. and {T}an, {J}. and {B}ista, {S}. and {N}ugroho, {H}. and {B}audoin, {R}. and {B}aylac, {M}. and {S}ilvain, {J}ean-{F}ran{\c{c}}ois and {C}arpenter, {J}. {M}. and {V}illemant, {C}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{C}oloration of stinging insects is often based on contrasted patterns of light and black pigmentations as a warning signal to predators. {H}owever, in many social wasp species, geographic variation drastically modifies this signal through melanic polymorphism potentially driven by different selective pressures. {T}o date, surprisingly little is known about the geographic variation of coloration of social wasps in relation to aposematism and melanism and to genetic and developmental constraints. {T}he main objectives of this study are to improve the description of the colour variation within a social wasp species and to determine which factors are driving this variation. {T}herefore, we explored the evolutionary history of a polymorphic hornet, {V}espa velutina {L}epeletier, 1836, using mitochondrial and microsatellite markers, and we analysed its melanic variation using a colour space based on a description of body parts coloration. {W}e found two main lineages within the species and confirmed the previous synonymy of {V}. auraria {S}mith, 1852, under {V}. velutina, differing only by the coloration. {W}e also found that the melanic variation of most body parts was positively correlated, with some segments forming potential colour modules. {F}inally, we showed that the variation of coloration between populations was not related to their molecular, geographic or climatic differences. {O}ur observations suggest that the coloration patterns of hornets and their geographic variations are determined by genes with an influence of developmental constraints. {O}ur results also highlight that {V}espa velutina populations have experienced several convergent evolutions of the coloration, more likely influenced by constraints on aposematism and {M}ullerian mimicry than by abiotic pressures on melanism.},
  keywords = {},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}los {O}ne},
  volume = {9},
  numero = {4},
  pages = {e94162},
  ISSN = {1932-6203},
  year = {2014},
  DOI = {10.1371/journal.pone.0094162},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010062078},
}