Can a Comma's wing darken with hibernation age? (and evolutional advantages).
Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2019 9:09 am
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Hello,
The above photo was the last Comma we gladly saw on the wing in 2019. Now that weather is cooler, I don't want to see any disturbed from hibernation in Lincolnshire, please)
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
We saw Commas “on the wing” in February this year because of a "climate change Spring".
From my understanding, this “seasonally late” Lincolnshire Comma was so immaculately fresh, I thought it must have been the offspring of a paler "summer breed quick" Hutchinsoni Comma. I thought that it would hibernate and hopefully breed in the Spring of 2020.
Please correct me if you think I was wrong.
Does anyone have any before and after Comma hibernation photos, to show that a Commas forewing did or did not darken with hibernation age?
It was thought that evolution might favour a darker over-wintering individual to pass on to the next generation, avoiding predation in hibernation camauflage, and that brighter or a more orange individual in overall flight appearance, might have had an advantage to attract a mate, similar in ones thought, to that of a male Silver-washed Fritillary(SWF) that was generally more brightly orange in colour, than a female SWF.
Kind Regards,