Abstract
The extraordinary diversity of wing color patterns observed in butterflies gives us an opportunity to understand the selective mechanisms involved in the evolution of traits in living beings. From the molecular biology laboratory to field experiments in the Amazon rainforest, we'll identify the selection pressures acting on the evolution of butterfly wing patterns : what influence does predator behavior or female sexual preferences have on this evolution ? We will highlight the opposing or converging effects of historical, genetic and selective factors on the evolution of mimetic, iridescent or camouflaged patterns.
