Chapter 26, Problem 9A

Summary Introduction

To analyze:

The reason behind the appearance of pink and yellow katydids.

Introduction :

The katydid belongs to the family Tettigonnidae, and they are also named as long-horned grasshopper. They are known for their long threadlike antennae and long hind legs. The female katydids have thick upwardly curved ovipositors that seem like egg-laying structure. They make rasping song that is produced from stridulation, through this they attract their partners for mating. The katydids are mostly bright green in colorbut there are pink and yellow katydids that appear occasionally and have been reared in captivity.

Explanation of Solution

The katydids are basically green in color but sometimes pink and yellow katydids are also found. The pink and yellow colored katydids are very rare and appear once in a season, the color differences is caused due to genetic inheritance termed as erythrism. The erythristic mutation is caused due to the absence of green color pigmentation in the body or in other words, due to the presence of pink and yellow color body pigmentation. But these bright color katydids cannot survive for long as they become the prey of birds and animals before they pass through the trait.

Conclusion

The pink and yellow color katydids appear sometimesdue to the presence of pink and yellow color body pigmentation. Because of their bright color they become the prey of birds and other animals.