Genetic model for color polymorphism in Jadera haematoloma (Hemiptera: Rhopalidae)

Color markers in insects facilitate research in many areas, including developmental genetics and the study of sperm competition. Laboratory populations of the soapberry bug Jadera haematoloma contain two color variants, orange and lemon, in addition to the wild-type, red. Results of experimental crosses among these three types support a two-locus model with two alleles at each locus. The two loci interact epistatically such that individuals possessing two recessive genes at the second locus are lemon regardless of which genes are present at the first locus. The putative genotypes are red, R/-B/-; orange, r/r B/-; lemon, -/- b/b/.