Many species of butterflies are known to exhibit a seasonal polyphenism, where one morph predominates at one season of year and an alternative morph occurs in a different season. Some species also have differences in adult size between two seasonal morphs. Seasonal polyphenism is an important evolutionary consequence for species to cope with seasonally changing environments. For insects, temperature plays an important rule among factors affecting insect evolutionary strategies. In this way, the seasonal polyphenism has been shown to be influenced by thermoregulation; some scientists believed that one color form can provide more rapid and effective solar heating through a larger proportion of darker patterns. The life range of adult insects is often short. Phenomena related to predator avoidance, such as warning coloration or crypsis, are increasingly accepted as the driving force behind evolution of wing patterns. In this case, the seasonal polyphenism are believed to be connected to a more effective cryptic or waring ability to avoid predators in different season according to the nature of available background surfaces. In other words, seasonal polyphenism may have evolved corresponding with changing environmental traits.

In my main research I am interested in the European Map Butterfly (Araschnia levana) which shows a striking seasonal polyphenism. The spring form has orange wings with some black spots and the summer form has black wings with white band and some small orange spots. The different forms are induced by long days and short days in larval stage. A.Levana is darker in summer which may seem counterintuitive regarding thermoregulation. Therefore, we focus on the relationship between seasonal polyphenism and predation avoidance. We assess whether the two seasonal forms exhibit warning or camouflage colouration in order to avoid predation.