On the reliability of a simple method for scoring phenotypes to estimate heritability: a case study with pupal color in Heliconius erato phyllis, Fabricius 1775 (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae)

In this paper, two methods for assessing the degree of melanization of pupal exuviae from the butterfly Heliconius erato phyllis, Fabricius 1775 (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Heliconiini) are compared. In the first method, which was qualitative, the exuviae were classified by scoring the degree of melanization, whereas in the second method, which was quantitative, the exuviae were classified by optical density followed by analysis with appropriate software. The heritability (h2 ) of the degree of melanization was estimated by regression and analysis of variance. The estimates of h 2 were similar with both methods, indicating that the qualitative method could be particularly suitable for field work. The low estimates obtained for heritability may have resulted from the small sample size (n = 7-18 broods, including the parents) or from the allocation-priority hypothesis in which pupal color would be a lower priority trait compared to morphological traits and adequate larval development.

Haemopoietic organs and effect of their ablation on total haemocyte count in lemon-butterfly, Papilio demoleus L.

The haemopoietic organs in Vth instar larvae of P. demoleus are in the form of thin transparent cellular sheets, closely wrapped around the base of each wing-pad. Three cell types viz; prohaemocytes, plasmatocytes and oenocytoids appear to be derived from these organs and their ablation caused a reduction in cell number which, in turn, revealed that the haemocytes in general are derived both from the haemopoietic organs as well as from the circulating blood cells.