Figure 4
From: Spalt expression and the development of melanic color patterns in pierid butterflies
Central piercing leads to large peripheral reductions in spot size in P . rapae . A) Dorsal forewing surface of Pieris rapae showing the spots investigated in this study (e; experimental; c; control). B) Control, left wing spot. C) Experimental, right wing spot of the same individual after epidermal cell damage was inflicted at the center of the spot at 16 h post-pupation. D) Effects of wing damage on spot size reductions depend on position and timing of damage. Percent reductions (in area) were calculated relative to spot area on the control wing and averaged across individuals. Error bars represent 95% CI. E) Heat map of pigmentation changes in P. rapae anterior spots after wing damage at different spot locations and at different time periods after pupation (note larger time-interval binning relative to D). Pigmentation change is measured relative to the control spot in the same individual and averaged across individuals. Areas that show the greatest pigmentation change are in bright red and those that show the least change are in dark blue.