Temporal dynamics of the mimetic allele frequency at the doublesex locus, which controls polymorphic Batesian mimicry in Papilio memnon butterflies. Issue 1 (December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Komata, Shinya; Lin, Chung-Ping; Sota, Teiji
• Is Part Of: Scientific reports. Volume 7:Issue 1(2017)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 6
• Publication Date: 2017-12
• Subjects: Natural history -- Research -- Periodicals; Biology -- Research -- Periodicals; Physical sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Earth sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; 502.85
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13419-8
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-2322

Abstract

Abstract Tracking allele frequencies is essential for understanding how polymorphisms of adaptive traits are maintained. InPapilio memnon butterflies, which exhibit a female-limited Batesian mimicry polymorphism (wing-pattern polymorphism), two alleles at thedoublesex (dsx ) locus correspond to mimetic and non-mimetic forms in females; males carry bothdsx alleles but display only the non-mimetic form. This polymorphism is thought to be maintained by a negative frequency-dependent selection. By trackingdsx allele frequencies in both sexes at a Taiwanese site over four years, we found that the mimetic allele persists at intermediate frequencies even when the unpalatable model papilionid butterflies (Pachliopta andAtrophaneura species) were very rare or absent. The rates of male mate choice did not differ between the two female forms; neither did insemination number nor age composition, suggesting equivalent reproductive performance of the two forms over time. Our results characterised the temporal dynamics of the mimetic allele frequency in the field for the first time and give insights into underlying processes involved in the persistence of the female-limited Batesian mimicry polymorphism.