First chromosome scale genomes of ithomiine butterflies (Nymphalidae:
Ithomiini): comparative models for mimicry genetic studies
Abstract
The ithomiine butterflies (Nymphalidae: Danainae) represent the largest
known radiation of Mullerian mimetic butterflies. They dominate by
number the mimetic butterfly communities, which include species such as
the iconic neotropical Heliconius genus. Despite recent studies
carried out on ithomiine ecology and genetic structure, no reference
genome was available for the tribe. Here, we generated high-quality,
chromosome-scale genome assemblies of two Melinaea species,
Melinaea marsaeus and Melinaea menophilus, and a draft
genome of Ithomia salapia. We obtained genomes with a size
ranging from 396 Mb to 503 Mb across the three species and scaffold N50
of 40.5 Mb and 23.2 Mb for the two chromosome-scale assemblies. Using
collinearity analyses we identified massive rearrangements between the
two closely related Melinaea species. A detailed annotation of
transposable elements and genes was performed, resulting in the
identification of 24,341, 31,081 and 31,976 genes in I. salapia,
M. marsaeus and M. menophilus, respectively. We used a
specialist annotation to target chemosensory genes, which is crucial for
host plant detection and mate recognition in mimetic species. A
comparative genomic approach revealed independent gene expansions in
ithomiines and particularly in gustatory receptor genes. These first
three genomes of ithomiine mimetic butterflies constitute a valuable
addition and a welcome comparison to existing biological models of
mimicry, such as Heliconius, and will enable further
understanding of the mechanisms of adaptation and the genetic bases
underpinning mimicry.