Pygmy grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) exhibit a multitude of discrete colour morphs within populations [20], [21] (Figure 1), and provide a good model system to explore the roles of diversity and relatedness.
Pygmy grasshoppers are small (up to 15-mm body length, 0.07 g), diurnal, ground dwelling insects that exhibit a multitude of discrete colour morphs within populations [20], [21].
Some rooms still maintain an old-fashioned atmosphere, but most have already been given a complete makeover with modern yet discrete colour schemes, enlarged black and white photographs of Paris serving as headboards, and essential mod cons such as air conditioning and Wi-Fi.
The painted dragon is ideally suited for such a study as both males and females show distinct variation in a number of colour traits and individuals can be assigned to discrete colour morphs (e.g. [37]).
Females in this species occur in three discrete colour morphs, Androchromes, Infuscans and Infuscans-obsoleta (Fig 1).
Our results are consistent with previous work revealing the importance of GSH on the expression of melanic characters that show continuous variation, and suggest that this pathway also applies to discrete colour morphs.
The South American poeciliid P. parae exhibit five Y-linked, discrete colour morphs [ 46, 47].
First, discrete colour morphs can often be scored easily and unambiguously in large numbers of individuals.
This often takes the form of discrete colour morphs, which not only differ in the extent of plumage melanisation, but often also in important fitness-related traits [ 11– 15].
Given that discrete colour morphs are often genetically correlated with other traits such as behaviour, physiology and life-history, selection may act on these correlated traits which make certain morphs better adapted to different environments.
