ABSTRACT Colour changing is a well-known phenomenon exhibited by a number of terrestrial arthropods. Non-random ‘morphing’ of the visible phenotype has generally been associated with changes in response to the environment. This article describes a previously unrecognised class of colour change which occurs as a result of endogenous rather than exogenous changes: specifically, moulting. The tomocerid springtail Lepidophorella australis dramatically changes its colour phenotype from silver-grey to yellow and back again during its moult cycle. These colour changes are caused by alternations between structural colouration (conferred by its ‘clothing’ of scales) and cuticular pigmentation during ecdysis (scale loss) and post-ecdysis (scale regeneration). Although the rate and frequency of change is affected by external factors related to development (e.g. temperature), it is a fixed component of life history. The extent of the difference between colour phenotypes means that they produce distinctly different visual (and presumably, therefore, ecological) signals. It is hypothesised that bright yellow subscale pigmentation may operate as a signal of aposematism when L australis are vulnerable to predation as a result of reduced activity and absent cuticular scales.

中文翻译：

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Lepidophorella australis Carpenter 异常多彩的“衣服”变化，1925 年（飞蛾科：Tomoceridae）

摘要 颜色变化是许多陆生节肢动物所表现出的众所周知的现象。可见表型的非随机“变形”通常与响应环境的变化有关。这篇文章描述了一种以前未被认识的颜色变化，它是由内源性而不是外源性变化引起的：特别是蜕皮。tomocerid springtail Lepidophorella australis 在其换羽周期中显着地将其颜色表型从银灰色变为黄色并再次变回。这些颜色变化是由蜕皮（鳞屑脱落）和蜕皮后（鳞屑再生）期间结构着色（由鳞屑的“衣服”赋予）和表皮色素沉着之间的交替引起的。尽管变化的速度和频率受到与发展相关的外部因素的影响（例如 G。温度），它是生活史的固定组成部分。颜色表型之间的差异程度意味着它们产生明显不同的视觉（因此可能是生态）信号。据推测，当澳洲松藻由于活动减少和表皮鳞片缺失而容易受到捕食时，亮黄色亚鳞片色素沉着可能作为戒断的信号。