Papilio memnon Transcriptome or Gene expression
Most Papilio caterpillars are known to switch their body coloration from a mimetic pattern to a cryptic pattern. Unlike most larvae in the Papilio butterflies that switch their body color from blackish to greenish after the final molt, Papilio memnon shows a greenish color from the third instar. To understand the molecular mechanism underlying this unique larval coloration in Papilio memnon, we performed RNA sequencing of epidermal samples from the third to fifth instar larvae in Papilio memnon. We explored the differential express genes (DEGs) associated with green coloration in Papilio memnon larvae, and compared the expression with the related species Papilio xuthus.