Divergence of chemosensing during the early stages of speciation
Bas van Schooten, Jesyka Meléndez‐Rosa, Steven M. Van Belleghem, Chris D. Jiggins, John D. Tan, W. Owen McMillan, Riccardo Papa
Abstract
Significance Insects are dependent on olfactory cues to complete biological processes, such as foraging, oviposition, and mate choice. While extensive experimental evidence supports the importance of chemical cues in these processes, genes involved in chemosensory integration of complex behavioral responses remain largely unknown. Using a combination of differential gene expression and genome-wide signals of gene flow, we describe the chemosensory expression profiles of sensory tissues and identify candidate genes for mate and host plant recognition in a pair of Heliconius butterflies. We find that candidate chemosensory genes are physically unlinked from color-pattern genes. Our results suggest the independent evolution of loci associated with the chemosensory and visual systems of Heliconius , both potentially mediating behaviors that promote reproductive isolation and downstream speciation.