Interactions in multi-pattern Mullerian communities support origins of new patterns, false structures, imperfect resemblance and mimetic sexual dimorphism.

ABSTRACT: Mimicry is a hot spot of evolutionary research, but de novo origins of aposematic patterns, the persistence of multiple patterns in Müllerian communities, and the persistence of imperfect mimics still need to be investigated. Local mimetic assemblages can contain up to a hundred of species, their structure can be a result of multiple dispersal events, and the gradual build-up of the communities. Here, we investigate the structure of lowland and mountain mimetic communities of net-winged beetles by sampling the Crocker Range in north-eastern Borneo and neighbouring regions. The local endemics evolved from the Bornean lowland fauna which is highly endemic at the species level. We inferred that metriorrhynchine net-winged beetles evolved in high elevations yellow/black and reticulate aposemat

SUBMITTER: Motyka M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7343875 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature