Q31 - Cryptic Aricia Butterfly Species
Cryptic species are organisms that look identical, but which represent distinct evolutionary lineages.
The diversity and geographical distribution of two cryptic species of Aricia butterflies, A. agestis and A. cramera, were studied.
| Species | Elevation | Host Plants |
|---|---|---|
| A. agestis | 0–1700 m | Erodium, Geranium, Helianthemum |
| A. artaxerxes | 0–2200 m | Erodium, Geranium, Helianthemum |
| A. montensis | 1000–2800 m | Erodium, Helianthemum |
| A. cramera | 0–2800 m | Erodium, Geranium, Helianthemum |
True or false?
Q31.1. The pair of studied cryptic species apparently formed because of geographical isolation.
Q31.2. These cryptic species have a clear ecological confinement to certain habitats.
Q31.3. Aricia species without an exact specialization can coexist with species that are clearly confined to a limited range of habitats.
Q31.4. Specialist Aricia species could be formed from generalist ancestors with wide geographical areas of distribution.
Question reproduced from IBO 2023, Theoretical Paper 2, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 - attributed to the International Biology Olympiad. Open the full exam PDF