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Evolution of Reproductive Plasticity in a Seasonal Tropical Environment
Marcus Hicks1, Zunilda Escalante-Arteaga2, Lizett Retuerto-Silva2
1School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Ecology Letters
|May 25, 2026
Summary
Insect reproductive plasticity, including diapause, is widespread in the Amazon. Evolution drives changes in how butterflies perceive cues like temperature, leading to diverse adaptations for seasonal changes.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Entomology
Background:
- Seasonality influences insect reproductive plasticity, with reproductive diapause being an extreme adaptation.
- The evolutionary pathways from milder plasticity to diapause are not well understood.
- Tropical regions experience seasonality, but the prevalence of reproductive plasticity and its link to wet/dry seasons remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the reproductive plasticity in Amazonian butterflies.
- To investigate the correlation between reproductive plasticity and tropical dry/wet seasons.
- To understand the evolutionary changes in reproductive plasticity and diapause.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a four-year monthly time series of reproductive phenotypes.
- Sampled nine butterfly species across four Nymphalidae subfamilies.
- Conducted detailed analyses on two Catonephele species.
Main Results:
- Observed widespread and diverse reproductive plasticity across sampled Amazonian butterfly species.
- Identified temperature as a conserved cue for diapause.
- Found species-specific divergence in cue response, such as dry season diapause in Catonephele acontius.
Conclusions:
- Reproductive plasticity is ubiquitous in tropical butterflies.
- Evidence suggests repeated evolutionary changes in reproductive plasticity and diapause.
- Tropical seasonality drives significant evolutionary adaptations in insect reproduction.
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