Transposable element insertions are associated with Batesian mimicry in the pantropical butterflyHypolimnas misippus

Abstract

AbstractHypolimnas misippusis a Batesian mimic of the toxic African Queen butterfly(Danaus chrysippus). FemaleH. misippusbutterflies use two major wing patterning loci (M and A) to imitate the four colour morphs ofD. chrysippusfound in different regions of Africa. In this study, we examine the evolution of the M locus and identify it as an example of adaptive atavism. This phenomenon involves a morphological reversion to an ancestral character that results in an adaptive phenotype. We show thatH. misippushas re-evolved a wing pattern present in otherHypolimnasspecies for Batesian mimicry of aD. chrysippusmorph. Using haplotagging, a linked-read sequencing technology, we discover two large transposable element (TE) insertions located at the M locus and establish that these insertions are present in the dominant allele responsible for producing the ancestral and mimetic phenotype. By conducting a comparative analysis involving additionalHypolimnasspecies, we demonstrate that the dominant allele is derived. This suggests that the TEs disrupt a cis-regulatory element, leading to the reversion to an ancestral phenotype that is then utilized for Batesian mimicry of a distinct model, a different morph ofD. chrysippus. Our findings present a compelling instance of convergent evolution and adaptive atavism, in which the same pattern element has independently evolved multiple times inHypolimnasbutterflies, repeatedly playing a role in Batesian mimicry of diverse model species.