scholarly journals Convergence in sympatry: evolution of blue-banded wing pattern in Morpho butterflies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
V Llaurens ◽  
Y Le Poul ◽  
A Puissant ◽  
C Noûs ◽  
P Blandin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Interactions ◽  
Ventral Side ◽  
Color Pattern ◽  
Dorsal Side ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Wing Pattern ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Wing Patterns ◽  
In The Wild

AbstractSpecies interactions such as mimicry can promote trait convergence but disentangling this effect from those of shared ecology, evolutionary history and niche conservatism is often challenging. Here by focusing on wing color pattern variation within and between three butterfly species living in sympatry in a large proportion of their range, we tested the effect of species interactions on trait diversification. These butterflies display a conspicuous iridescent blue coloration on the dorsal side of their wings and a cryptic brownish colour on the ventral side. Combined with an erratic and fast flight, these color patterns increase the difficulty of capture by predators and contribute to the high escape abilities of these butterflies. We hypothesize that, beyond their direct contribution to predator escape, these wing patterns can be used as signals of escape abilities by predators, resulting in positive frequency-dependent selection favouring convergence in wing pattern in sympatry. To test this hypothesis, we quantified dorsal wing pattern variations of 723 butterflies from the three species sampled throughout their distribution, including sympatric and allopatric situations and compared the phenotypic distances between species, sex and localities. We detected a significant effect of localities on colour pattern, and higher inter-specific resemblance in sympatry as compared to allopatry, consistent with the hypothesis of local convergence of wing patterns. Our results provide some support to the existence of escape mimicry in the wild and stress the importance of estimating trait variation within species to understand trait variation between species, and to a larger extent, trait diversification at the macro-evolutionary scale.

scholarly journals Coloration using higher order optical interference in the wing pattern of the Madagascan sunset moth

2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (21) ◽  
pp. 457-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Yoshioka ◽  
T Nakano ◽  
Y Nozue ◽  
S Kinoshita
Keyword(s):  
Multilayer Structure ◽  
Hind Wing ◽  
Ventral Side ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Dorsal Side ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Optical Interference ◽  
Wing Scale ◽  
Abrupt Changes ◽  
Colour Patterns

Colour patterns of animals' bodies are usually produced by the spatial distribution of pigments with different colours. However, some animals use the spatial variation of colour-producing microstructures. We have studied one distinctive example of such structurally produced colour patterns, the wing of the Madagascan sunset moth, to clarify the physical rules that underlie the colour variation. It is known that the iridescent wing scale of the sunset moth has the alternate air–cuticle multilayer structure that causes optical interference. The microscopic and optical investigations of various parts of the wing have confirmed that the thickness of the cuticle layers within the scale largely varies to produce the colour pattern. However, it varies in very different ways between the dorsal and ventral sides of the hind wing; the thickness gradually varies on the dorsal side from scale to scale, while the abrupt changes are found on the ventral side to form distinctive borders between differently coloured areas. It is also revealed that an unusual coloration mechanism is involved in the green part of the ventral hind wing: the colour is caused by higher order optical interference of the highly non-ideal multilayer structure. The physical mechanism of the colour pattern formation is briefly discussed with the several mathematical models proposed so far.

scholarly journals Genetic Basis of Melanin Pigmentation in Butterfly Wings

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linlin Zhang ◽  
Arnaud Martin ◽  
Michael W. Perry ◽  
Karin R.L. van der Burg ◽  
Yuji Matsuoka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Color Pattern ◽  
Wing Pattern ◽  
Butterfly Wing ◽  
Melanin Pigmentation ◽  
Evolution And Development ◽  
Wing Patterns ◽  
Pattern Development ◽  
Different Color ◽  
Melanin Pathway

AbstractDespite the variety, prominence, and adaptive significance of butterfly wing patterns surprisingly little known about the genetic basis of wing color diversity. Even though there is intense interest in wing pattern evolution and development, the technical challenge of genetically manipulating butterflies has slowed efforts to functionally characterize color pattern development genes. To identify candidate wing pigmentation genes we used RNA-seq to characterize transcription across multiple stages of butterfly wing development, and between different color pattern elements, in the painted lady butterfly Vanessa cardui. This allowed us to pinpoint genes specifically associated with red and black pigment patterns. To test the functions of a subset of genes associated with presumptive melanin pigmentation we used CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in four different butterfly genera. pale, Ddc, and yellow knockouts displayed reduction of melanin pigmentation, consistent with previous findings in other insects. Interestingly, however, yellow-d, ebony, and black knockouts revealed that these genes have localized effects on tuning the color of red, brown, and ochre pattern elements. These results point to previously undescribed mechanisms for modulating the color of specific wing pattern elements in butterflies, and provide an expanded portrait of the insect melanin pathway.

scholarly journals Female Bicyclus anynana butterflies choose males on the basis of their dorsal UV-reflective eyespot pupils

2005 ◽  
Vol 272 (1572) ◽  
pp. 1541-1546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kendra A Robertson ◽  
Antónia Monteiro
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Female Choice ◽  
Predator Avoidance ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Wing Pattern ◽  
Bicyclus Anynana ◽  
Wing Patterns ◽  
Male Wing ◽  
White Pupil

Sexual and natural selection pressures are thought to shape the characteristic wing patterns of butterfly species. Here we test whether sexual selection by female choice plays a role in the maintenance of the male wing pattern in the butterfly Bicyclus anynana . We perform one of the most extensive series of wing pattern manipulations in butterflies, dissecting every component of the ‘bulls-eye’ eyespot patterns in both ventral and dorsal wing surfaces of males to test the trait's appeal to females. We conclude that females select males on the basis of the size and brightness of the dorsal eyespot's ultraviolet reflecting pupils. Pupil absence is strongly selected against, as are artificially enlarged pupils. Small to intermediate (normal sized) pupils seem to function equally well. This work contradicts earlier experiments that suggest that the size of dorsal eyespots plays a role in female choice and explains why male dorsal eyespots are very variable in size and often have indistinct rings of coloration, as the only feature under selection by females seems to be the central white pupil. We propose that sexual selection by female choice, rather than predator avoidance, may have been an important selective factor in the early stages of eyespot evolution in ancestral Lepidopteran lineages.

scholarly journals The movement of “false antennae” in butterflies with “false head” wing patterns

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 758-764 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tania G. López-Palafox ◽  
Armando Luis-MartÍnez ◽  
Carlos Cordero
Keyword(s):  
Sagittal Plane ◽  
Hind Wing ◽  
Color Pattern ◽  
Substantial Proportion ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
The Family ◽  
Wing Patterns ◽  
Alternative Hypotheses ◽  
Close Range ◽  
Antennal Movement

Abstract In many butterfly species of the family Lycaenidae, the morphology and color pattern of the hind wings, together with certain behaviors, suggests the presence of a false head (FH) at the posterior end of the perching individual. This FH is considered an adaptation to escape from visually oriented predators. A frequent component of the FH are the tails that presumably resemble the antennae, and the typical hind wings back-and-forth movement along the sagittal plane (HWM) performed while perching apparently move the tails in a way that mimics antennal movement. By exposing 33 individuals from 18 species of Lycaenidae to a stuffed insectivorous bird, we tested two alternative hypotheses regarding HWM. The first hypothesis proposes that, when the butterfly is observed at close range, the HWM distorts the shape of the false head thus reducing its deceiving effect and, therefore, selection will favor butterflies that stop moving their wings when a predator is close by; the second hypothesis says that an increase in the frequency of HWM improves its deflective effect when the butterfly confronts a predator at close range. Our results tend to support the second hypothesis because half of the butterflies started to move their hind wings or increased the rate of HWM when exposed to the stuffed bird; however a substantial proportion of butterflies (30%) stopped moving their hind wings or decreased the rate of HWM as expected from the first hypothesis. Our observations also showed that there is great variation in the rates of HWM, and demonstrated the existence of alternative ways of producing “vivid” movement of the hind wing tails (the “false antennae”) in the absence of HWM.

scholarly journals Evolution of a mimicry supergene from a multilocus architecture

2011 ◽  
Vol 279 (1727) ◽  
pp. 316-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert T. Jones ◽  
Patricio A. Salazar ◽  
Richard H. ffrench-Constant ◽  
Chris D. Jiggins ◽  
Mathieu Joron
Keyword(s):  
Morphometric Analysis ◽  
Related Species ◽  
Quantitative Trait ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Wing Pattern ◽  
Model Species ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
Wing Patterns ◽  
First Time

The origin and evolution of supergenes have long fascinated evolutionary biologists. In the polymorphic butterfly Heliconius numata , a supergene controls the switch between multiple different forms, and results in near-perfect mimicry of model species. Here, we use a morphometric analysis to quantify the variation in wing pattern observed in two broods of H. numata with different alleles at the supergene locus, ‘ P ’. Further, we genotype the broods to associate the variation we capture with genetic differences. This allows us to begin mapping the quantitative trait loci that have minor effects on wing pattern. In addition to finding loci on novel chromosomes, our data, to our knowledge, suggest for the first time that ancestral colour-pattern loci, known to have major effects in closely related species, may contribute to the wing patterns displayed by H. numata , despite the large transfer of effects to the supergene.

scholarly journals Evolution and genetic architecture of disassortative mating at a locus under heterozygote advantage

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludovic Maisonneuve ◽  
Mathieu Chouteau ◽  
Mathieu Joron ◽  
Violaine Llaurens
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Architecture ◽  
Color Pattern ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Heterozygote Advantage ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Deleterious Mutations ◽  
Disassortative Mating ◽  
Local Selection ◽  
Trait Locus

AbstractThe evolution of mate preferences may depend on natural selection acting on the mating cues and on the underlying genetic architecture. While the evolution of assortative mating with respect to locally adapted traits has been well-characterized, the evolution of disassortative mating is poorly characterized. Here we aim at understanding the evolution of disassortative mating for traits under strong balancing selection, by focusing on polymorphic mimicry as an illustrative example. Positive frequency-dependent selection exerted by predators generates local selection on wing patterns acting against rare variants and promoting local monomorphism. This acts across species boundaries, favouring Mullerian mimicry among defended species. In this well-characterized adaptive landscape, polymorphic mimicry is rare but is observed in a butterfly species, associated with polymorphic chromosomal inversions. Because inversions are often associated with recessive deleterious mutations, we hypothesize they may induce heterozygote advantage at the color pattern locus, putatively favoring the evolution of disassortative mating. To explore the conditions underlying the emergence of disassortative mating, we modeled both a trait locus (colour pattern for instance), subject to mutational load, and a preference locus. We confirm that heterozygote advantage favors the evolution of disassortative mating and show that disassortative mating is more likely to emerge if at least one allele at the trait locus is free from any recessive deleterious mutations. We modelled different possible genetic architectures underlying mate choice behaviour, such as self referencing alleles, or specific preference or rejection alleles. Our results showed that self referencing or rejection alleles linked to the color pattern locus can be under positive selection and enable the emergence of disassortative mating. However rejection alleles allow the emergence of disassortative mating only when the color pattern and preference loci are tightly linked. Our results therefore provide relevant predictions on both the selection regimes and the genetic architecture favoring the emergence of disassortative mating and a theoretical framework in which to interprete empirical data on mate preferences in wild populations.

scholarly journals The wing pattern of Moerarchis Durrant, 1914 (Lepidoptera: Tineidae) clarifies transitions between predictive models

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 161002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra R. Schachat
Keyword(s):  
Intraspecific Variation ◽  
Wing Length ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Wing Venation ◽  
Wing Pattern ◽  
Wing Margin ◽  
Pattern Complexity ◽  
Wing Patterns ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Empirical Insight

The evolution of wing pattern in Lepidoptera is a popular area of inquiry but few studies have examined microlepidoptera, with fewer still focusing on intraspecific variation. The tineid genus Moerarchis Durrant, 1914 includes two species with high intraspecific variation of wing pattern. A subset of the specimens examined here provide, to my knowledge, the first examples of wing patterns that follow both the ‘alternating wing-margin’ and ‘uniform wing-margin’ models in different regions along the costa. These models can also be evaluated along the dorsum of Moerarchis , where a similar transition between the two models can be seen. Fusion of veins is shown not to effect wing pattern, in agreement with previous inferences that the plesiomorphic location of wing veins constrains the development of colour pattern. The significant correlation between wing length and number of wing pattern elements in Moerarchis australasiella shows that wing size can act as a major determinant of wing pattern complexity. Lastly, some M. australasiella specimens have wing patterns that conform entirely to the ‘uniform wing-margin’ model and contain more than six bands, providing new empirical insight into the century-old question of how wing venation constrains wing patterns with seven or more bands.

scholarly journals Macroevolutionary shifts of WntA function potentiate butterfly wing-pattern diversity

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (40) ◽  
pp. 10701-10706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anyi Mazo-Vargas ◽  
Carolina Concha ◽  
Luca Livraghi ◽  
Darli Massardo ◽  
Richard W. R. Wallbank ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Wing Pattern ◽  
Butterfly Wing ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Wing Patterns ◽  
Nymphalid Butterfly ◽  
Somatic Mutagenesis ◽  
Shape Tuning ◽  
Light Color ◽  
Butterfly Wing Pattern

Butterfly wing patterns provide a rich comparative framework to study how morphological complexity develops and evolves. Here we used CRISPR/Cas9 somatic mutagenesis to test a patterning role for WntA, a signaling ligand gene previously identified as a hotspot of shape-tuning alleles involved in wing mimicry. We show that WntA loss-of-function causes multiple modifications of pattern elements in seven nymphalid butterfly species. In three butterflies with a conserved wing-pattern arrangement, WntA is necessary for the induction of stripe-like patterns known as symmetry systems and acquired a novel eyespot activator role specific to Vanessa forewings. In two Heliconius species, WntA specifies the boundaries between melanic fields and the light-color patterns that they contour. In the passionvine butterfly Agraulis, WntA removal shows opposite effects on adjacent pattern elements, revealing a dual role across the wing field. Finally, WntA acquired a divergent role in the patterning of interveinous patterns in the monarch, a basal nymphalid butterfly that lacks stripe-like symmetry systems. These results identify WntA as an instructive signal for the prepatterning of a biological system of exuberant diversity and illustrate how shifts in the deployment and effects of a single developmental gene underlie morphological change.

Revision of Hista Oiticica (Lepidoptera: Castniidae) and discussion on the validity of its subspecies

Zootaxa ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 2421 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
SIMEÃO S. MORAES ◽  
MARCELO DUARTE ◽  
JORGE M. GONZÁLEZ
Keyword(s):  
Taxonomic Structure ◽  
Wing Pattern ◽  
New Synonyms ◽  
New Synonym ◽  
Wing Patterns ◽  
The Stability

Diurnal Lepidoptera tend to have colorful and conspicuous wing patterns, which is the reason the first classifications of day-flying moths and butterflies were based mainly on wing color and pattern characters. This is the case with the Neotropical Castniidae, which are usually large and colorful day-flying moths. One classification listed 134 species in 32 genera while an alternate classification recognized 81 species. In this paper we examine the taxonomic structure of the genus Hista Oiticica. It is the purpose of this paper to evaluate taxonomically useful characters besides wing pattern with the goal of classifying the taxa of Hista rather than classifying the variation of its wing pattern. In so doing, the results resolve the differences between the two proposed classifications of Hista. In addition, a lectotype is designated for Castnia boisduvalii Walker, 1854 (new synonym of Castnia fabricii Swainson, 1823) to ensure the stability of the name. Other new synonyms are proposed for C. fabricii (C. papagaya Westwood, 1877) and Castnia hegemon Kollar, 1839 (C. menetriesi Boisduval, [1875] and C. hegemon variegata Rothschild, 1919).

scholarly journals Gravity determines the direction of nerve roots sedimentation in the lumbar spinal canal

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Yang ◽  
Zhiyun Feng ◽  
Nian Chen ◽  
Zhenhua Hong ◽  
Yongyu Zheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lumbar Spine ◽  
Mr Imaging ◽  
Spinal Canal ◽  
Ventral Side ◽  
Lateral Position ◽  
Dorsal Side ◽  
Mr Images ◽  
Nerve Roots ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Dural Sac

Abstract Objectives To investigate the role of gravity in the sedimentation of lumbar spine nerve roots using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of various body positions. Methods A total of 56 patients, who suffered from back pain and underwent conventional supine lumbar spine MR imaging, were selected from sanmen hospital database. All the patients were called back to our hospital to perform MR imaging in prone position or lateral position. Furthermore, the sedimentation sign (SedSign) was determined based on the suspension of the nerve roots in the dural sac on cross-sectional MR images, and 31 cases were rated as positive and another 25 cases were negative. Results The mean age of negative SedSign group was significantly younger than that of positive SedSign group (51.7 ± 8.7 vs 68.4 ± 10.5, P < 0.05). The constitutions of clinical diagnosis were significantly different between patients with a positive SedSign and those with a negative SedSign (P < 0.001). Overall, nerve roots of the vast majority of patients (48/56, 85.7%) subsided to the ventral side of the dural sac on the prone MR images, although that of 8 (14.3%) patients remain stay in the dorsal side of dural sac. Nerve roots of only one patient with negative SedSign did not settle to the ventral dural sac, while this phenomenon occurred in 7 patients in positive SedSign group (4% vs 22.6%, P < 0.001). In addition, the nerve roots of all the five patients subsided to the left side of dural sac on lateral position MR images. Conclusions The nerve roots sedimentation followed the direction of gravity. Positive SedSign may be a MR sign of lumbar pathology involved the spinal canal.

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