Abstract
THE Large White butterfly (Pieris brassicae L.) is a toxic species1, aposematic at all stages of its life-cycle. Probably for this reason, the pupa responds to the colour of its background in a somewhat different manner from that of many other Pierid species, displaying heterochromy (background contrasting) rather than homochromy (background matching). In this respect, there is some genetical variation between different strains (M. R., unpublished).
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ROTHSCHILD, M., GARDINER, B., VALADON, G. et al. Lack of response to background colour in Pieris brassicae pupae reared on carotenoid-free diet. Nature 254, 592–594 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/254592a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/254592a0
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