GEPHE SUMMARY Print
Gephebase Gene
Entry Status
Published
GepheID
GP00002414
Main curator
Courtier
PHENOTYPIC CHANGE
Trait Category
Trait State in Taxon A
moldy form
Trait State in Taxon B
veined form
Ancestral State
Taxon A
Taxonomic Status
Taxon A
Common Name
orange oakleaf
Synonyms
Kallima inachus eucerca; orange oakleaf; dead leaf; dead leaf butterfly; Kallima inachus (Boisduval, 1846); Kallima inachis
Rank
species
Lineage
Show more ... Dicondylia; Pterygota; Neoptera; Endopterygota; Amphiesmenoptera; Lepidoptera; Glossata; Neolepidoptera; Heteroneura; Ditrysia; Obtectomera; Papilionoidea; Nymphalidae; Nymphalinae; Kallimini; Kallima
NCBI Taxonomy ID
is Taxon A an Infraspecies?
Yes
Taxon A Description
Kallima inachus - moldy morph
Taxon B
Common Name
orange oakleaf
Synonyms
Kallima inachus eucerca; orange oakleaf; dead leaf; dead leaf butterfly; Kallima inachus (Boisduval, 1846); Kallima inachis
Rank
species
Lineage
Show more ... Dicondylia; Pterygota; Neoptera; Endopterygota; Amphiesmenoptera; Lepidoptera; Glossata; Neolepidoptera; Heteroneura; Ditrysia; Obtectomera; Papilionoidea; Nymphalidae; Nymphalinae; Kallimini; Kallima
NCBI Taxonomy ID
is Taxon B an Infraspecies?
Yes
Taxon B Description
Kallima inachus - veined morph
GENOTYPIC CHANGE
Presumptive Null
No
Molecular Type
Aberration Type
Molecular Details of the Mutation
-
Experimental Evidence
Authors
Wang S; Teng D; Li X; Yang P; Da W; Zhang Y; Zhang Y; Liu G; et al. ... show more
Abstract
Oakleaf butterflies in the genus Kallima have a polymorphic wing phenotype, enabling these insects to masquerade as dead leaves. This iconic example of protective resemblance provides an interesting evolutionary paradigm that can be employed to study biodiversity. We integrated multi-omic data analyses and functional validation to infer the evolutionary history of Kallima species and investigate the genetic basis of their variable leaf wing patterns. We find that Kallima butterflies diversified in the eastern Himalayas and dispersed to East and Southeast Asia. Moreover, we find that leaf wing polymorphism is controlled by the wing patterning gene cortex, which has been maintained in Kallima by long-term balancing selection. Our results provide macroevolutionary and microevolutionary insights into a model species originating from a mountain ecosystem.

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Additional References
RELATED GEPHE
Related Genes
No matches found.
Related Haplotypes
3
EXTERNAL LINKS
COMMENTS
@Parallelism - There are at least 5 distinct cortex haplotypes associated with 5 wing morphs. These diverse haplotypes are also found in closely related species of Kallima butterflies, suggesting that the balanced polymorphism has been maintained over millions of years. @Inversion
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