Abstract
The evolution of mimicry in similarly defended prey is well described by
Müllerian mimicry theory, which predicts the convergence of warning
patterns in order to gain the most protection from predators. However,
despite this prediction, we can find great diversity of color patterns
amongst Müllerian mimics such as Heliconius butterflies in the
neotropics. Furthermore, some species have evolved the ability to
maintain multiple distinct warning patterns in single populations, a
phenomenon known as polymorphic mimicry. The adaptive benefit of these
polymorphisms is questionable since variation from the most common
warning patterns is expected to be disadvantageous as novel signals are
punished by predators naive to them. In this study, we use artificial
butterfly models throughout Central and South America to characterize
the selective pressures maintaining polymorphic mimicry in Heliconius
doris. Our results highlight the complexity of positive
frequency-dependent selection, the principal selective pressure driving
convergence amongst Müllerian mimics, and its impacts on interspecific
variation of mimetic warning colouration. We further show how this
selection regime can both limit and facilitate the diversification of
mimetic traits.