Mimicry can drive convergence in structural and light transmission features of transparent wings in Lepidoptera

eLife

Doris Gomez¹  Christine Andraud²  Maëlle Vilbert²  Stephan Borensztajn³  Florence Piron-Prunier⁴  Marianne Elias⁴  Charline Sophie Pinna⁴  Serge Berthier⁵  Willy Daney de Marcillac⁵  Nipam H Patel⁶  Aaron Pomerantz⁷ 

[1] Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), CNRS, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France;Centre de Recherche sur la Conservation (CRC), CNRS, MNHN, Ministère de la Culture, Paris, France;Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), Université de Paris, CNRS, Paris, France;Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), CNRS, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France;Institut des NanoSciences de Paris (INSP), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France;Marine Biological Laborators, Woods Hole, United States;Marine Biological Laborators, Woods Hole, United States;Department Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, United States;

关键词: Lepidoptera;    mimicry;    transparency;    nanostructures;    aposematism;    optics;    Insects;   

DOI  :  10.7554/eLife.69080

来源: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd

【 摘 要 】

Müllerian mimicry is a positive interspecific interaction, whereby co-occurring defended prey species share a common aposematic signal. In Lepidoptera, aposematic species typically harbour conspicuous opaque wing colour patterns with convergent optical properties among co-mimetic species. Surprisingly, some aposematic mimetic species have partially transparent wings, raising the questions of whether optical properties of transparent patches are also convergent, and of how transparency is achieved. Here, we conducted a comparative study of wing optics, micro and nanostructures in neotropical mimetic clearwing Lepidoptera, using spectrophotometry and microscopy imaging. We show that transparency, as perceived by predators, is convergent among co-mimics in some mimicry rings. Underlying micro- and nanostructures are also sometimes convergent despite a large structural diversity. We reveal that while transparency is primarily produced by microstructure modifications, nanostructures largely influence light transmission, potentially enabling additional fine-tuning in transmission properties. This study shows that transparency might not only enable camouflage but can also be part of aposematic signals.

【 授权许可】

CC BY