Plastic responses figure prominently in discussions on insect adaptation to climate change.
Here we review the different types of plastic responses and whether they contribute much to …

Highlights•Phenotypic plasticity can influence the rate of evolution of insects.•The rate of
evolution will depend on how plasticity alters the strength of selection.•The response to …

Insects are the most ecologically important multicellular heterotrophs in terrestrial systems.
They play critical roles in ecological food webs, remain devastating agricultural and medical …

Variable thermal environments experienced by most organisms warrant mechanisms to
adjust the expression of phenotypic values to environmental needs. Here we explored short …

The ambient temperature experienced during development is a crucial factor affecting
survival and adult phenotype in ectotherms. Moreover, the exact response of individuals to …

Surprisingly, little is known about how the environment influences the production of the
iconic orange coloration of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). Previous research …

Abstract Two genes, Distal-less (Dll) and spalt (sal), are known to be involved in establishing
nymphalid butterfly wing patterns. They function in several ways: in the differentiation of the …

Understanding how organisms adapt to complex environments is a central goal of
evolutionary biology and ecology. This issue is of special interest in the current era of rapidly …

Butterflies possess attributes that are sensitive to gradual environmental changes. Recently,
the effects of environmental factors on the shapes of organisms, as well as the interactions of …

Traits that promote the maintenance of body temperatures within an optimal range provide
advantages to ectothermic species. Pigmentation plasticity is found in many insects and …