Vertical differentiation in tropical forest butterflies: a novel mechanism generating insect diversity?

ABSTRACT: Many tropical fruit-feeding nymphalid butterflies are associated with either the forest canopy or the understorey; however, the exceptions offer insights into the origins of tropical diversity. As it occurs in both habitats of tropical forests in Ecuador and Peru, Archaeoprepona demophon is one such exception. We compared patterns of occurrence of A. demophon in the canopy and understorey and population genomic variation for evidence of ecological and genetic differentiation between habitats. We found that butterfly occurrences in the canopy were largely uncorrelated with occurrences in the understorey at both localities, indicating independent demographic patterns in the two habitats. We also documented modest, significant genome-level differentiation at both localities. Genetic different

SUBMITTER: Nice CC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6371905 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature