How the Easter Egg Weevils Got Their Spots: Phylogenomics Reveals Müllerian Mimicry in Pachyrhynchus (Coleoptera, Curculionidae).

This article focuses on the evolutionary origins and diversification of Müllerian mimicry in the Easter egg weevil genus Pachyrhynchus, a group of flightless, structurally colored beetles primarily endemic to the Philippines. Using phylogenomic analyses of over 10,000 ultraconserved element (UCE) loci, the study reveals that similar mimetic color patterns among sympatric Pachyrhynchus species largely result from convergent evolution driven by positive frequency-dependent selection rather than shared ancestry. Biogeographic analyses support diversification linked to Pleistocene island dynamics in the Philippines, with multiple independent colonization events across island groups. The findings highlight the complexity of mimicry and polymorphism in Pachyrhynchus and underscore the need for integrative taxonomic approaches combining genetic and morphological data to better understand their evolutionary history.