Data from: Rapid diversification associated with ecological specialization in Neotropical Adelpha butterflies

Rapid diversification is often associated with morphological or ecological adaptations that allow organisms to radiate into novel niches. Neotropical Adelpha butterflies, which comprise over 200 species and subspecies, are characterized by extraordinary breadth in host plant use and wing colour patterns compared to their closest relatives. To examine the relationship between phenotypic and species diversification, we reconstructed the phylogenetic history of Adelpha and its temperate sister genus Limenitis using genomewide restriction-site-associated DNA (RAD) sequencing. Despite a declining fraction of shared markers with increasing evolutionary distance, the RAD-Seq data consistently generated well-supported trees using a variety of phylogenetic methods. These well-resolved phylogenies allow the identification of an ecologically important relationship with a toxic host plant family, as well as the confirmation of widespread, convergent wing pattern mimicry throughout the genus. Taken together, our results support the hypothesis that evolutionary innovations in both larvae and adults have permitted the colonization of novel host plants and fuelled adaptive diversification within this large butterfly radiation.

快速物种分化通常与形态或生态适应息息相关，这类适应性使生物得以辐射扩张至全新的生态位。包含200余个物种及亚种的新热带区Adelpha蛱蝶，相较于其近缘类群，在寄主植物利用范围与翅色图案方面拥有极高的多样性。为探究表型演化与物种分化之间的关联，本研究借助全基因组限制性位点关联DNA（RAD）测序技术，重建了Adelpha蛱蝶及其温带姊妹属Limenitis的系统发育历史。尽管共享标记的比例随进化距离增加而逐渐降低，但RAD测序数据通过多种系统发育分析方法，均能生成支持度优异的系统发育树。这些分辨率精良的系统发育树，不仅帮助我们明确了该类群与一类有毒寄主植物科间具有重要生态意义的关联，还证实了整个属内广泛存在的趋同翅型拟态现象。综合来看，本研究结果支持如下假说：幼虫与成虫的演化创新，使得该类群能够开拓全新的寄主植物生态位，并推动了这一大型蝴蝶辐射类群的适应性分化。