Insects have been influential models in research on color variation, its evolutionary drivers and the mechanistic basis of such variation. More recently, several studies have indicated that insect color is responding to rapid climate change. However, it remains challenging to ascertain drivers of color variation among populations and species, and across space and time, as multiple biotic and abiotic factors can interact and mediate color change. Here, we describe some of the challenges and recent advances made in this field. First, we outline the main alternative hypotheses that exist for insect color variation in relation to climatic factors. Second, we review the existing evidence for contemporary adaptive evolution of insect color in response to climate change and then discuss factors that can promote or hinder the evolution of color in response to climate change. Finally, we propose future directions and highlight gaps in this research field. Pigments and structures producing insect color can vary concurrently or independently, and may evolve at different rates, with poorly understood effects on gene frequencies and fitness. Disentangling multiple competing hypotheses explaining insect coloration should be key to assign color variation as an evolutionary response to climate change.

昆虫已成为研究颜色变化，其进化驱动力和这种变化的机理基础的重要模型。最近，一些研究表明，昆虫的颜色正在响应快速的气候变化。然而，由于多种生物和非生物因素可以相互作用和介导颜色变化，因此要确定种群和物种之间，空间和时间之间颜色变化的驱动因素仍然具有挑战性。在这里，我们描述了该领域的一些挑战和最新进展。首先，我们概述了与气候因素有关的昆虫颜色变化的主要替代假设。第二，我们回顾了当代昆虫颜色适应气候变化的适应性进化的现有证据，然后讨论了可以促进或阻碍响应气候变化的颜色进化的因素。最后，我们提出了未来的方向，并强调了该研究领域中的差距。产生昆虫颜色的色素和结构可以同时或独立地变化，并且可能以不同的速率进化，对基因频率和适应性的影响知之甚少。解开解释昆虫着色的多个相互竞争的假说应该是将颜色变化指定为对气候变化的进化反应的关键。并且可能以不同的速率进化，对基因频率和适应性的影响知之甚少。解开解释昆虫着色的多个相互竞争的假设，对于将颜色变化指定为对气候变化的进化响应而言，应该是关键。并且可能以不同的速率进化，对基因频率和适应性的影响知之甚少。解开解释昆虫着色的多个相互竞争的假说应该是将颜色变化指定为对气候变化的进化反应的关键。