Epicuticular lipids serve many roles in insects and other terrestrial arthropods (see other
chapters in this volume), but the first to be recognized was as a barrier to transpiration …

Background Pigmentation has a long history of investigation in evolutionary biology. In
Drosophila melanogaster, latitudinal and altitudinal clines have been found but their …

Gradients in cuticle lightness of ectotherms have been demonstrated across latitudes and
elevations. Three key hypotheses have been used to explain these macroecological …

Widespread pigmentation diversity coupled with a well‐defined genetic system of melanin
synthesis and patterning in Drosophila provides an excellent opportunity to study …

As small bodied poikilothermic ectotherms, invertebrates, more so than any other animal
group, are susceptible to extremes of temperature and low water availability. In few places is …

In the last two decades a considerable number of studies have described geographic
variation in morphometric, physiological and behavioral traits of over a dozen species of wild …

Montane insects are at a higher risk of desiccation than their lowland counterparts and are
expected to have evolved reduced water loss. Hemideina spp.(tree weta; Orthoptera …

For Drosophila melanogaster, cuticular melanisation is a quantitative trait, varying from no
melanin to completely dark. Variation in melanisation has been linked with stress resistance …

Drosophila jambulina exhibits color dimorphism controlled by a single locus but its
ecological significance is not clear. Dark and light morphs differ significantly in body …

ABSTRACT A robust understanding of an organism's behavioural and ecological
characteristics is an integral part of conservation; unfortunately, many of New Zealand's …