TY - JOUR
T1 - Phenotypic analysis of aposematic conoderine weevils (Coleoptera
T2 - Curculionidae: Conoderinae) supports the existence of three large mimicry complexes
AU - Anzaldo, Salvatore S.
AU - Wilson, Joseph S.
AU - Franz, Nico M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was primarily funded by the United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service (agreement 58-1275-1-335) and the National Science Foundation Collections in Support of Biological Research award 1756327. Many specimens used in the analysis were generously provided by the late Dr Charles O’Brien. We would also like to thank Lourdes Chamorro (NMNH), Bob Anderson (CMNC), Hector Barrios (PCMENT), Max Barclay (NHMUK) and Olaf Jäger (MTD) for loans of additional specimens. Type specimens included in the analysis were imaged at the NHMUK and MTD with funds from the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology Ernst Mayr Travel Award, the Society of Systematic Biologists Mini-ARTS Award, and an Arizona State University Graduate Student Support award. Henry Hespenheide, Carlos Muñoz-Ramírez and an anonymous reviewer provided constructive feedback that improved the manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society.
PY - 2020/2/28
Y1 - 2020/2/28
N2 - The Conoderinae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) are one of the most distinctive Neotropical weevil groups in behaviour and appearance, attracting numerous hypotheses regarding the evolution and function of widespread apparent mimetic convergence. Conoderines have a poorly documented natural history, and a large fraction of the diversity of the group remains undescribed, presenting challenges to their study. In this analysis, 128 species of conoderine weevils previously or herein hypothesized to belong to three mimicry complexes are analysed in the first quantitative test of conoderine mimicry. Fifteen continuous and categorical characters describing the size, shape and coloration of these weevils were analysed using non-metric multidimensional scaling while statistically testing the resulting clusters in ordination space. Three similar, putatively mimetic complexes are recognized: (1) the 'red-eyed fly' complex of weevils, which are hypothesized to be evasively mimetic on various species of red-eyed flies; (2) the 'striped/spotted' complex, composed of weevils with a brightly coloured pronotum and red to white elytral stripes or spots; and (3) the 'shiny blue' complex of species with iridescent blue to blue-green pronotal scales. Each of these groups covers a wide geographical distribution and has evolved independently in multiple genera, although the red-eyed fly complex appears to be both the most species rich and widely distributed phylogenetically. Groupings were found to be statistically significant, although variation within each group suggests that the similarity in appearance of species in each group could be attributable to independent convergence on different, but phenotypically similar, models. Several avenues for future research on conoderine mimicry are discussed.
AB - The Conoderinae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) are one of the most distinctive Neotropical weevil groups in behaviour and appearance, attracting numerous hypotheses regarding the evolution and function of widespread apparent mimetic convergence. Conoderines have a poorly documented natural history, and a large fraction of the diversity of the group remains undescribed, presenting challenges to their study. In this analysis, 128 species of conoderine weevils previously or herein hypothesized to belong to three mimicry complexes are analysed in the first quantitative test of conoderine mimicry. Fifteen continuous and categorical characters describing the size, shape and coloration of these weevils were analysed using non-metric multidimensional scaling while statistically testing the resulting clusters in ordination space. Three similar, putatively mimetic complexes are recognized: (1) the 'red-eyed fly' complex of weevils, which are hypothesized to be evasively mimetic on various species of red-eyed flies; (2) the 'striped/spotted' complex, composed of weevils with a brightly coloured pronotum and red to white elytral stripes or spots; and (3) the 'shiny blue' complex of species with iridescent blue to blue-green pronotal scales. Each of these groups covers a wide geographical distribution and has evolved independently in multiple genera, although the red-eyed fly complex appears to be both the most species rich and widely distributed phylogenetically. Groupings were found to be statistically significant, although variation within each group suggests that the similarity in appearance of species in each group could be attributable to independent convergence on different, but phenotypically similar, models. Several avenues for future research on conoderine mimicry are discussed.
KW - Lechriopini
KW - Zygopini
KW - convergent evolution
KW - evasive mimicry
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U2 - 10.1093/biolinnean/blz205
DO - 10.1093/biolinnean/blz205
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85081536756
SN - 0024-4066
VL - 129
SP - 728
EP - 739
JO - Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
JF - Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
IS - 3
ER -