Seasonal specialization drives divergent population dynamics in two closely related butterflies.

ABSTRACT: Seasons impose different selection pressures on organisms through contrasting environmental conditions. How such seasonal evolutionary conflict is resolved in organisms whose lives span across seasons remains underexplored. Through field experiments, laboratory work, and citizen science data analyses, we investigate this question using two closely related butterflies (Pieris rapae and P. napi). Superficially, the two butterflies appear highly ecologically similar. Yet, the citizen science data reveal that their fitness is partitioned differently across seasons. Pieris rapae have higher population growth during the summer season but lower overwintering success than do P. napi. We show that these differences correspond to the physiology and behavior of the butterflies. Pieris rapae outperfor

SUBMITTER: von Schmalensee L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10281946 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature