Scientists create hybrid butterfly species

LONDON (Reuters) – Scientists said on Wednesday they have
created a distinctive red and yellow butterfly in the
laboratory by interbreeding two different species in a way
similar to what they believe has occurred in nature.

The laboratory hybrid is nearly identical to a wild species
of butterfly in Colombia known as Heliconius heurippa.

“We recreated the evolutionary steps that may have given
rise to Heliconius heurippa, a hybrid butterfly species, in the
lab,” said Jesus Mavarez, of the Smithsonian Tropical Research
Institute in Panama City, Panama.

Animal hybrids are thought to be very rare because they are
less able to survive. The mule for example, a hybrid between a
donkey and a horse, is sterile so it is an evolutionary dead
end. But some hybrids survive and establish new species.

The achievement by Mavarez and researchers in Colombia and
Britain, which is reported in the journal Nature, suggests
animal hybrids could be more common than previously thought.

The scientists began their experiments after noticing that
Heliconius heurippa’s distinct wing pattern was similar to two
other species of butterfly.

After interbreeding the two types, they found the
laboratory hybrid was very similar to the wild species.

The scientists said the color pattern on the wing of
Heliconius heurippa, which is a mating cue, makes it
unattractive to members of their parents’ species but
attractive to each other.