Polymorphism in <i>Noctua pronuba</i> (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) in southern Norway
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33338/ef.83476Abstract
Forty-five light trap samples of Noctua pronuba (Linnaeus, 1758), consisting of nearly 11 000 individuals, from 38 localities in western and southeastern Norway, were scored for three morphs, rufous, ochre and silver, according to the forewing colouration. Rufous constituted 37% to 62% of the samples from westem Norway, and 50% to 73% of the samples from southeastern Norway. Males constituted 93% of the specimens. In 12 samples, with a sufficient number of females (n>25), no sex difference in the frequency of rufous was established. The seasonal variation in the frequency of rufous was considered negligible and no annual variation was apparent. No geographic variation in the frequency of rufous was demonstrated in western Norway. In southeastern Norway one sample differed significantly from all the others. When samples from adjacent localities were lumped, significant differences in the frequency of rufous were found between three regions in western Norway, and between southeastern Norway and all the regions in western Norway. In southeastern Norway, regression analyses showed a significant increase in the frequency of rufous towards the east.
