- Thermal adaptation in butterflies: patterns, significance and
mechanisms (2008) - Temperature is one of the most important
ecological factors affecting biological organization directly
and indirectly on nearly all spatial and temporal scales. As in
nature organisms are often faced with variation in mean
temperatures as well as in temperature extremes, they have to
adapt plastically and/or genetically to their respective
environmental conditions or will otherwise risk extinction.
Using the Copper butterfly Lycaena tityrus as model organism,
this study focuses on the patterns, significance and mechanisms
of thermal adaptation in ectotherms on three main issues: (1)
the mechanistic basis of the temperature-size rule (TSR), (2)
altitudinal patterns potentially related to thermal performance
and (3) the genetic background of such variation. Following the
TSR (being bigger at colder rearing temperatures) in L. tityrus
is mainly caused by two different components: a behavioural and
a physiological one. During the