Meeting Abstract

P2.10  Friday, Jan. 4  Microhabitat segregation in mimetic ithomiine butterflies HILL, Ryan I.; University of California, Berkeley rihill@berkeley.edu

Lowland neotropical butterfly faunas exhibit many �mimicry rings�, in which species from many genera and families share a similar aposematic color pattern. Multiple mimetic patterns is contrary to M�llerian mimicry theory in which unpalatable species share a common warning pattern. Explanations for this diversity have focused on ecological differences among species belonging to different mimicry rings, however the relative contribution of behavioral and microhabitat variables has not been addressed. In this study, microhabitat distribution of ithomiine butterflies is investigated to answer whether they are segregated by microhabitat. Discriminant analysis with five microhabitat variables demonstrates segregation among color patterns, supporting traditional perspectives on coexistence of multiple mimicry rings.