In Drosophila melanogaster, abdominal tergite pigmentation and the appearance of a trident‐shaped thoracic pattern exhibit similar biogeographical variation and sensitivity to temperature. These pigmentation traits may be under common selection pressure in natural populations or may be genetically correlated. To investigate the nature of this interaction, replicated populations of D. melanogaster were selected for increased or decreased melanization of the abdominal tergites for 40 generations. Selection for abdominal tergite pigmentation leads to correlated changes in trident formation. Although selection was performed only on female flies, male pigmentation also responded to selection. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 106, 287–294.