Heterogeneity in predator micro-habitat use and the maintenance of Müllerian mimetic diversity

Gompert, Zachariah; Willmott, Keith R.; Élias, Marianne

doi:10.1016/j.jtbi.2011.04.024

Cited by 27 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…However, at such a small scale, predator microhabitat niches may still overlap substantially. Theoretical models show that despite overlap in predator microhabitat niches, mimicry diversity can be maintained locally, across microhabitats [26]. Indeed, in real communities of ithomiine butterflies mimicry rings are significantly segregated along multiple microhabitat niche dimensions [11,24,25].…”

Section: Mimicry Diversity Within Communitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We can interpret this association either as an adaptive convergence in colour pattern among species sharing the same microhabitat, and/or an adaptive convergence in microhabitat preferences among species mimicking each other. Although theoretical models show that adaptive microhabitat convergence is possible [26], the fact that co-mimetic species share both their colour pattern and microhabitat niche does not necessarily indicate convergence. Because all species share a common ancestor, comimetic species could derive from a recent common ancestor, from which they would have inherited both their colour pattern and microhabitat niche.…”

Section: Adaptive Microhabitat Niche Partitioningmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mimicry inHeliconiusand Ithomiini butterflies: The profound consequences of an adaptation

Élias

Joron

2015

BIO Web of Conferences

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Abstract. Prey populations have evolved multiple strategies to escape predation.Camouflage is a strategy resting on avoiding detection by potential predators, whereas aposematism relies on advertising chemical defences with conspicuous warning signals. While camouflaged phenotypes are subject to negative frequency-dependent selection, aposematic preys are under positive frequency-dependence, where the efficiency of a signal increases with its own local abundance. Because of his "strength-in-number" effect, multiple chemically-defended species exposed to the same suite of predators gain a selective advantage from converging on the same warning signals. Convergence in warning signals is called Müllerian mimicry. Here, we review the results of recent genetic and ecological research on two well-studied groups of neotropical Müllerian mimetic butterflies, the genus Heliconius and the tribe Ithomiini, which advertise their unpalatability through conspicuous wing colour patterns. Mimicry represents a major adaptation in these groups, where the effects of selection extend well beyond mere phenotypic resemblance. Selection acts on other traits used as mating cues, on the genetic architecture of colour pattern and even on the ecological niche of species. The origin of mimicry itself and the coexistence of multiple mimicry patterns are well understood, but the ultimate drivers of mimicry diversity remain unclear.

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Section: Mimicry Diversity Within Communitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Adaptive Microhabitat Niche Partitioningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mimicry inHeliconiusand Ithomiini butterflies: The profound consequences of an adaptation

Élias

Joron

2015

BIO Web of Conferences

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“…The answer to this question may have consequences to our understanding of how ecological interactions shape trait evolution and, especially, convergence in traits of non-related species. Previous work had suggested how habitat heterogeneity due to stratification or across microenvironments might affect the evolution of mimicry rings (Papageorgis, 1975;Mallet & Gilbert, 1995;Turner & Mallet, 1996;Beatty et al, 2004;Elias et al, 2008;Gompert et al, 2011;Ferreira & Marcon, 2014). Here, by introducing a novel approach, our work contributes to a step towards in the comprehension of what are the main factors driving the emergence of distinct sympatric mimetic rings in a community.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…We assumed that aposematic species that co-occur in the same habitat share the same potential predator. As a consequence, selection mediated by the coexistence with other aposematic species and due to the presence of a common predator favored convergence in the trait values (Müller, 1879;Sherratt, 2006;Gompert et al, 2011).…”

Section: Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One possible explanation for the coexistence of multiple mimetic rings in a community is that species in different habitats are facing distinct predators and different environmental selective pressures, favoring the emergence of distinct mimetic rings within a community (Mallet & Gilbert, 1995;Joron et al, 1999;Gompert et al, 2011). In fact, Müllerian rings of butterfly species are often associated with distinct habitats (Beccaloni, 1997;DeVries et al, 1999;Hill, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evolutionary dynamics of mimetic rings in heterogeneous ecological communities

Barros¹

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Scale‐dependent environmental effects on phenotypic distributions inHeliconiusbutterflies

Martins

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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Identifying the relative importance of different mechanisms responsible for the emergence and maintenance of phenotypic diversity can be challenging, as multiple selective pressures and stochastic events are involved in these processes. Therefore, testing how environmental conditions shape the distribution of phenotypes can offer important insights on local adaptation, divergence, and speciation. The red‐yellow Müllerian mimicry ring of Heliconius butterflies exhibits a wide diversity of color patterns across the Neotropics and is involved in multiple hybrid zones, making it a powerful system to investigate environmental drivers of phenotypic distributions. Using the distantly related Heliconius erato and Heliconius melpomene co‐mimics and a multiscale distribution approach, we investigated whether distinct phenotypes of these species are associated with different environmental conditions. We show that Heliconius red‐yellow phenotypic distribution is strongly driven by environmental gradients (especially thermal and precipitation variables), but that phenotype and environment associations vary with spatial scale. While co‐mimics are usually predicted to occur in similar environments at large spatial scales, patterns at local scales are not always consistent (i.e., different variables are best predictors of phenotypic occurrence in different locations) or congruent (i.e., co‐mimics show distinct associations with environment). We suggest that large‐scale analyses are important for identifying how environmental factors shape broad mimetic phenotypic distributions, but that local studies are essential to understand the context‐dependent biotic, abiotic, and historical mechanisms driving finer‐scale phenotypic transitions.

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Heterogeneity in predator micro-habitat use and the maintenance of Müllerian mimetic diversity

Cited by 27 publications

References 42 publications

Mimicry inHeliconiusand Ithomiini butterflies: The profound consequences of an adaptation

Mimicry inHeliconiusand Ithomiini butterflies: The profound consequences of an adaptation

Evolutionary dynamics of mimetic rings in heterogeneous ecological communities

Scale‐dependent environmental effects on phenotypic distributions inHeliconiusbutterflies

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