Repeated Topic, different perspective: COLOR

[minomantis]

This topic has started so many discussions and I'm sure many arguments.  I myself have always wonder what determines the color of a mantis.  I broke it down to genetics and Darwinism. Genetics will determine the color, Darwinism if you're the right color in a specific area, you'll survive, if not, you'll get eaten.  Over the years if one color is favored, you'll see that color more.  Of course there will be color variants and if they survive then the genes will be varied if the future so on and so forth.

Moving of from that, I have two questions. 1) Is there a mantis species where there surroundings in a molt period directly affect the color of the mantis before or after a molt?  2) Is there a limited range of colors that a mantis can be? 

Example, if a Carolina mantis was around a purple queen plant and purple shield plant for it's whole life, do you think it would try to get to a purple color or go to a "default" color because purple isn't in its color pool?  Not saying there's an answer but rather want to start a discussion on a more specific color question.

 

[Ranitomeya]

You should look up epigenetics. It's one of the ways mantises within the same species can vary in color.

Yes, coloration is dependent on genetics in that they cannot produce a color unless they have the genes with the proteins that produce the pigment, but the expression of those genes can be regulated to produce differences in coloration. You won't see a truly green male Phyllocrania paradoxa or a golden Hierodula venosa, some coloration is ***-linked. There is definitely a limited number of pigments in many mantis species. You probably won't see a Carolina mantis turn purple as it lacks the genes to produce the proteins that allow it to have that pigment, but you can observe that kind of color change in Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii.

It's difficult to determine exactly what stimulates the change in gene expression, but in some species like in Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii, it seems to be a response to the color of the surrounding environment. In other species, it seems completely independent of the color of the surroundings and more of a response to the combination of lighting, temperatures, and humidity levels. In still others, there doesn't appear to be an easy answer of why some of them vary in color and it may very well be primarily genetic variation.