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Dryad

Data on expert assessments of colour pattern variation in Erebidae and Noctuidae moths in Sweden

Data files

Jan 07, 2020 version files 66.95 KB

Abstract

Besides variation among animal species in ground colour and in the number, size, shape, and distribution of pattern elements, there is also considerable intraspecific variation in colour patterns that can manifest both between populations inhabiting different environments, and among individuals within populations. In previous investigations into the consequences of inter-individual variation in colour patterns in moths we have relied on a discrete classification with three categories: non-variable; variable; or highly variable colour patterns, as jointly assessed by Per-Eric Betzholtz and Markus Franzén (e.g., Forsman et al. 2015, 2016, Franzén et al. 2019). Here we provide the raw data from the anonymized assessments of colour pattern variation of 489 species of Erebidae and Noctuidae moths in Sweden performed by twelve lepidopterologists with extensive experience and expertise of the moth fauna in Sweden. In addition, the raw data (on a discrete scale) provided by the experts is used to generate a continuously distributed measure of the intra-specific colour pattern variation in moths. Despite variation among the independent scorers in their assessments of the average level of forewing colour pattern variation, there were statistically significant consistent differences in average colour pattern variation among the different species of moths (for details see Supporting Information I in Betzholtz et al. 2019).

References

Betzholtz, P.-E., A. Forsman, and M. Franzén. 2019. Inter-individual variation in colour patterns in noctuid moths characterizes long-distance dispersers and agricultural pests. Journal of Applied Entomology 143: 992-999.

Forsman, A., P. E. Betzholtz, and M. Franzén. 2015. Variable coloration is associated with dampened population fluctuations in noctuid moths. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 282: 20142922.

Forsman, A., P. E. Betzholtz, and M. Franzén. 2016. Faster poleward range shifts in moths with more variable colour patterns. Scientific Reports 6: 36265.

Franzén, M., P. E. Betzholtz, and A. Forsman. 2019. Variable color patterns influence continental range size and species-area relationships on islands. Ecosphere 10: e02577.