Population dynamics and seasonal polyphenism of Chilades pandava butterfly (Lycaenidae) in central India.

Some butterfly species have environmentally induced alternative seasonal forms, which is known as seasonal polyphenism. Many examples of seasonally polyphenic species are known but their population dynamics is poorly understood. Here we present seasonal polyphenism in Chilades pandava from central India, documenting patterns of population dynamics of alternative seasonal forms as well as of total population size. We show that relative humidity explained most of the variation in population size, whereas precipitation negatively influenced the proportion of dry season forms in the population. However, dry season forms were more abundant during winter than during summer. This study reveals the multitude of ways in which the Indian monsoon governs aspects of butterfly biology, from population dynamics to wing colouration.

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