Environmental Variation Promotes Convergent Evolution and Rapid Diversification of Wing Shape and Color in Skipper Butterflies

Matos-Maravi, P.; Linke, D.; Ribeiro, P.; Lamas, G.; Freitas, A. V.; Nunez, R.; Kawahara, A. Y.; Toussaint, E. F.; Bacon, C. D.; Wahlberg, N.; Antonelli, A.

doi:10.64898/2025.12.27.696669

bioRxiv · 10.64898/2025.12.27.696669

Environmental Variation Promotes Convergent Evolution and Rapid Diversification of Wing Shape and Color in Skipper Butterflies

Matos-Maravi, P.·Linke, D.·Ribeiro, P.·Lamas, G.·Freitas, A. V.·Nunez, R.·Kawahara, A. Y.·Toussaint, E. F.·Bacon, C. D.·Wahlberg, N.·Antonelli, A.

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Abstract

Predation is a key driver of speciation and phenotypic diversification, yet how antipredator traits evolve and persist over evolutionary time remains poorly understood. We generated target sequence capture and whole-genome sequencing data for the skipper butterfly subfamily Eudaminae (Hesperiidae) to test whether antipredator defenses, in interaction with environmental variation, promote diversification. We focus on two antipredation wing traits: hindwing tails, which deflect predator attacks, and blue-green coloration, which may enhance motion dazzle and be used as warning coloration. Applying phylogenomics, morphometrics, and comparative methods, we model trait evolution in relation to diel activity and geographic distribution and find that hindwing tails repeatedly evolved at least seven times and blue-green coloration at least fifteen times. Both traits are associated with elevated speciation rates, but evolutionary transitions toward tailless wings and non-iridescent coloration occurred more frequently than trait gains, indicating high evolutionary lability of these antipredator defenses. Trait loss, particularly pronounced in tropical diurnal species, may reflect trade-offs in flight performance, shifts in predation guilds, or the evolution of alternative defensive traits. Our findings highlight rampant convergent evolution of wing traits that are under strong predator-mediated selection. By identifying how antipredator defenses and environmental contexts influence phenotypic and species diversification, this study provides new insights into the ecological and evolutionary processes underlying insect diversity.

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Matos-Maravi, P., Linke, D., Ribeiro, P., Lamas, G., Freitas, A. V., Nunez, R., Kawahara, A. Y., Toussaint, E. F., Bacon, C. D., Wahlberg, N., Antonelli, A.. 2025-12-27. Environmental Variation Promotes Convergent Evolution and Rapid Diversification of Wing Shape and Color in Skipper Butterflies. https://doi.org/10.64898/2025.12.27.696669

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