Ancient inversion polymorphisms are locally adaptive in a widespread butterfly species

Divergent selection across species ranges does not always translate into observable morphological divergence. Genomic approaches agnostic to traits or groups of populations under selection can reveal cryptic genetic diversity and provide insights into the nature of local adaptation. Here, we use such an approach to investigate local adaptation in the zebra butterfly, Heliconius charithonia. This species is widely distributed across the Caribbean and adjacent North, Central and South America yet is morphologically and genetically homogeneous across its range. Genomic analyses, however, reveal three geographically restricted inversions that survived recent range expansions that explain genetic homogeneity in the rest of the genome. These inversions are ancient but not shared with related species. Their polymorphisms cannot be explained by accumulation of mutational load and are more likely maintained by divergent selection in heterogeneous environments. Our study emphasizes the power of genomic approaches for uncovering hidden diversity in morphologically homogeneous species and highlights the important role of chromosomal rearrangements in local adaptation.