The Influence of Mimicry on Wing Shape Evolution in the ButterflyPapilio dardanus(Lepidoptera: Papilionidae)

Abstract

Throughout its range in Africa, Papilio dardanus Brown, 1776 (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) displays femalelimited mimicry of multiple model species, and the absence of hind wing tails is an important component of their mimetic convergence. Nonmimetic P. dardanus females have a narrow, disjunct distribution (Ethiopia, Madagascar, Comoros), and resemble males in color and by possessing hind wing tails. We used elliptical Fourier analysis to investigate whether mimetic P. dardanus female forms converged on the wing shape of their unpalatable models in the tribes Acraeini and Danaini (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Models varied in forewing and hind wing shapes, and separated in shape space according to phylogenetic affinities. Forewing and hind wing shapes of mimics did not closely match those of models. Nonetheless, we found that mimetic P. dardanus female hind wings differed from conspecific males that had their tails photographically removed to allow standardized comparisons. Four nonmimetic Papilio Linnaeus, 1758 (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) species did not show significant wing shape dimorphism between sexes, supporting the idea that in P. dardanus females, the evolution of mimicry led to changes in hind wing shape beyond the loss of tails.