Data from: A molecular phylogeny of forktail damselflies (genus Ischnura) reveals a dynamic macroevolutionary history of female colour polymorphisms

Colour polymorphisms are popular study systems among biologists interested
in evolutionary dynamics, genomics, sexual selection and sexual conflict.
In many damselflies, such as in the globally distributed genus Ischnura
(forktails), female colour polymorphisms occur in some species.
Female-polymorphic species contain two or three female morphs, one of
which is male-coloured (androchrome or male mimic) and co-exists with
sexually dimorphic (heterochrome) females. These female colour
polymorphisms are considered to be maintained by frequency-dependent
sexual conflict, but their macroevolutionary histories are unknown, due to
the lack of a robust molecular phylogeny. Here, we present the first
time-calibrated phylogeny of Ischnura, using a multispecies coalescent
approach (StarBEAST2), incorporating both molecular data and fossil
information of 41 extant species (55% of the genus). We estimate the age
of Ischnura to be between 13.8 and 23.4 millions of years, i.e. Miocene.
We infer the ancestral state of this genus as female monomorphism with
heterochrome females, with multiple gains and losses of polymorphisms,
evidence of trans-species polymorphisms and a significant positive
relationship between polymorphism incidence and current geographic range
size. Our study provides a robust phylogenetic framework for future
research on the dynamic macroevolutionary history of this clade with its
extraordinary diversity of sex-limited female polymorphisms.