INHERITANCE OF AN UNUSUAL COLOR VARIANT IN THE GRASSHOPPER MELANOPLUS SANGUINIPES

Abstract

The inheritance of "red back" in the migratory grasshopper, Melanoplus sanguinipes (Fabricius), is investigated. The phenotype, a reddish-brown color, is restricted to adults and extends from the dorsal surface of the metazona of pronotum to the fastigium of vertex. Standard crosses with "normal" grasshoppers indicate that "red back" is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait, there being some association with reduced viability. Two-point testcrosses involving another trait, "hind tibia color", reveal the presence of linkage between the two traits. Map distance estimates are 19.4 and 8.8 units in females and males, respectively.