A genetic switch for male UV iridescence in an incipient species pair of sulphur butterflies.

ABSTRACT: Mating cues evolve rapidly and can contribute to species formation and maintenance. However, little is known about how sexual signals diverge and how this variation integrates with other barrier loci to shape the genomic landscape of reproductive isolation. Here, we elucidate the genetic basis of ultraviolet (UV) iridescence, a courtship signal that differentiates the males of Colias eurytheme butterflies from a sister species, allowing females to avoid costly heterospecific matings. Anthropogenic range expansion of the two incipient species established a large zone of secondary contact across the eastern United States with strong signatures of genomic admixtures spanning all autosomes. In contrast, Z chromosomes are highly differentiated between the two species, supporting a dispro

SUBMITTER: Ficarrotta V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8784150 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature