Coevolution between colouration and vision in sympatry : a Morpho butterfly case study

SemIDEEV
 06/11/2026
 12:00:00
 Joséphine Ledamoisel, ESE
 IDEEV - Salle Rosalind Franklin

Butterfly wings display great variations of colourations and patterns both between and among species sharing the same habitat (i.e. sympatric species). In Morpho butterflies in particular, angle-dependant changes of wing colouration can be observed due to light-reflecting nanostructures (i.e. iridescence). The evolution of these visual traits is likely influenced by selective pressures exerted by the visual sensitivities and preferences of predators and other butterflies living in the same habitat. However, disentangling the effects of these biotic interactions from other evolutionary pressures is challenging. In this talk, I will present my research on the relative contributions of ecological interactions on the coevolution of visual traits in sympatric Morpho butterflies. Investigating (i) the variation of the iridescent wings signals between allopatric and sympatric Morpho population, (ii) the evolution of their visual system, and (iii) their mate preferences, allowed me to understand the relative contribution of predation or sexual selection in the evolution of wing iridescence in sympatry.