Repeated evolution of iridescence and hindwing tails is associated with morphometric flight proxies in skipper butterflies.

Abstract excerpt

Phenotypic evolution is shaped by phylogenetic history, ecology, and biomechanical constraints. Butterfly wings offer an ideal system to explore these forces, as the relationships between wing morphology and flight characteristics have been intensively studied. Here, we focus on Eudamina skipper butterflies, which display repeated phenotypic convergences of dorsal iridescence and hindwing tails-traits linked to...

Topics

• Animals
• Butterflies
• Wings, Animal
• Flight, Animal
• Biological Evolution
• Phylogeny