Wing color pattern revisited: non-mimetic species help understand the evolution of mimicry in Zetherini (Nymphalidae, Satyrinae)

Abstract

This comparative study describes and illustrates the color pattern of 23 species in the Satyrinae tribe Zetherini, which currently includes six genera. Here I expand the taxonomic representation from my previous work, thus allowing me to revise the descriptions of some color pattern elements and correct an error of interpretation. While some Zetherini taxa are cryptic, others show mimetic resemblance to members of the tribe Danaini. As working hypotheses, using the color pattern of non-mimetic Zetherini genera as a starting point, morphological pathways for the evolution of mimicry are proposed. The potential for multiple events of evolution of mimicry within the Zetherini is discussed, and observations on natural history and behavior are compiled from the literature.