Convergent morphology and divergent phenology promote the coexistence of Morpho butterfly species.

ABSTRACT: The coexistence of closely-related species in sympatry is puzzling because ecological niche proximity imposes strong competition and reproductive interference. A striking example is the widespread wing pattern convergence of several blue-banded Morpho butterfly species with overlapping ranges of distribution. Here we perform a series of field experiments using flying Morpho dummies placed in a natural habitat. We show that similarity in wing colour pattern indeed leads to interspecific territoriality and courtship among sympatric species. In spite of such behavioural interference, demographic inference from genomic data shows that sympatric closely-related Morpho species are genetically isolated. Mark-recapture experiments in the two most closely-related species unravel a strong temporal s

SUBMITTER: Le Roy C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8668891 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature