DOI: 10.5061/dryad.d0bh91n
title: Data from: Macroevolutionary origin and adaptive function of a polymorphic female signal involved in sexual conflict

description: Inter-sexual signals that reveal developmental or mating status have
 evolved repeatedly in females of many animal lineages. Such signals can
 have important functions in sexual conflict over mating and can shape
 sexually antagonistic coevolution. However, we know little about how
 female signal development modifies mating harassment and thereby shape
 sexual conflict. Here, we combine phylogenetic comparative analyses of a
 color polymorphic damselfly genus (Ischnura) with behavioral experiments
 in one target species to investigate the evolutionary history and current
 adaptive function of female color development. Most Ischnura species have
 multiple female color morphs, one of which is typically male colored
 (“male mimics”). In our target species (I. elegans), males and
 male-mimicking females express a blue abdominal patch throughout
 post-emergence life. We demonstrate experimentally by phenotypic
 manipulations of this color signal, that in sexually dimorphic females,
 developmentally plastic expression of this signalling trait reduces
 pre-mating harassment prior to sexual maturity. Across species, this
 signal evolves rapidly, but in sexually dimorphic females, its origin is
 contingent upon the abdomen color expressed by co-occurring male-colored
 females. Our results suggest that cross-sexual transfer and subsequent
 co-option of an original male trait to a novel female anti-harassment
 function modulates sexual conflict driven by pre-mating interactions.
description: Sampling effort for
 field mating rates and fecundityDate, location and
 catching effort (min) for each field visit between
 2015-2017.field_visits.csvField mating ratesMating activity of females of Ischnura elegans in the field. Each record consists of an individual female, belonging to one of three heritable colour morphs. Females were classified as "immature" or "mature" based on their developmental colour phase. The "Copula" column indicates whether females were mating (1) or single (0) when found.field_mating.csvField fecundityFecundity (number of eggs) of field-mated females of Ischnura elegans. Each record consists of an individual female, belonging to one of three heritable colour morphs. Females were classified as "immature" or "mature" based on their developmental colour phase. Mating females were brought to an indoor lab for oviposition.field_fecundity.csvEffects of abdoment colour on inter-sexual interactionsIntersexual interactions in experimental trials where female abdomen colour was manipulated to alter their perceived developmental state. Each row represents a female in an experimental trial. There are two female-age categories and three heritable colour morphs. The "Phenotype" column indicates the abdomen colour displayed by each female. The "Treatment" column indicates whether such colour matches the actual developmental stage (control), advances the perceived developmental stage (forward) or conceals female maturity (reverse). We recorded male approaches to females, clasping attempts, tandem formation and mating activity.LowD.csvEffects of abdoment colour on mating probabilityMating activity in experimental trials with Ischnura elegans, where female abdomen colour was manipulated. Each row represents a female in a trial. There are two female-age categories and three heritable colour morphs. The "Phenotype" column indicates the abdomen colour displayed by each female. The "Treat" column indicates whether such colour matches the actual developmental stage (control), advances the perceived developmental stage (forward) or conceals female maturity (reverse). Mating activity was not recorded (NA) when females died within the 24 h trial.Copula_24L-long.csvPilot experiment on the effects of female abdomen colourIntersexual interactions in pilot trials where female abdomen colour was manipulated to alter their perceived developmental state. Each row represents a female in an experimental trial. Female age categories, heritable morphs and experimental treatments are the same as in the main experiment. The "Paint" column indicates whether control females were painted with their actual colour or not painted. We recorded male approaches to females, contacts, clasping attempts, tandem formation,mating activity, male-male contacts and female grooming activity.HighD.csvIschnura alignmentConcatenated alignment of five loci and 41 species of Ischnura damselflies.IschnuraConc.nexPosterior treesSample of 1000 posterior trees drawn from phylogenetic inference of the genus Ischnura. Methods for phylogentic inference are described in the Appendix.Fixed_GMC_trees.nexMaximum a posteriori treeMaximum a posteriori tree computed from phylogenetic inference of the damselfly genus Ischnura. Methods for phylogenetic inference are described in the Appendix.Fixed.GMC_MAP.treeColour traits in Ischnura femalesPresence of four colour traits in females of the damselfly genus Ischnura. Each row corresponds to a species. We recorded: the presence of a blue patch in male-coloured A-females, the presence of a blue patch in H-females, which are markedly different from males, the presence of an immature Aurantica colour phase and the presence of developmental pruinosity. Missing data is represented with a hyphen (-). For the presence of a blue patch in A- and H- females, "0" indicates the morph is absent in a species, "1" corresponds to continuous expression of the blue patch throughout development, "2" corresponds immature-only expression of the blue patch and "3" represents cases where the blue patch is not expressed at any point in development.lambda.csvDevelopmental expression of a colour signal in Ischnura damselfliesDevelopmental expression of an abdominal blue patch in damselflies of the genus Ischnura. Each row represents a species. Expression of the blue patch was categorized as "continuous" throughout development, "immature" or absent and was recorded separately for males and two heritable female morphs. In female-monomorphic species, expression of the trait in the missing morph cannot be recorded and is set to "NA".tips_states.csvExpression of a blue patch in A-femalesData file used in BayesTraits analysis of the evolution of blue abdominal patch in A-females of the damselfly genus Ischnura. The first column gives species names and the second column shows the character states for the expression of the blue patch. "0" indicates A-females are absent in a species. "1" corresponds to continuous expression of the blue patch throughout development. "2" corresponds immature-only expression of the blue patch and "3" represents cases where A-females exist but do not express a blue patch at any point in development.AMult.txtExpression of a blue patch in A-females - missing morph to NAData file used in BayesTraits analysis of the evolution of blue abdominal patch in A-females of the damselfly genus Ischnura. The first column gives species names and the second column shows the character states for the expression of the blue patch. Here, species lacking the A-morph are treated as missing data (-). "1" corresponds to continuous expression of the blue patch throughout development. "2" corresponds immature-only expression of the blue patch and "3" represents cases where A-females exist but do not express a blue patch at any point in development.AMultNA.txtCorrelated evolution between A- and H-femalesData used for BayesTraits analysis of correlated evolution between the expression of a blue abdominal patch in A-females and H-females of the genus Ischnura. The first column gives the species names. The and third column provide character states for A- and H-females respectively. "0" indicates the absence of the blue patch and "1" indicates the presence of the blue patch at any point in development. Missing data for H-females is represented with a hyphen (-).Corr.txtCorrelated evolution between continuos expression in A-females and immature expression in H-femalesData used for BayesTraits analysis of correlated evolution between the continuous expression of a blue abdominal patch in A-females and the immature expression of the blue patch in H-females of the genus Ischnura. The first column gives the species names. The and third column provide character states for A- and H-females respectively. "0" indicates the absence of the blue patch and "1" indicates the presence of the blue patch throughout adult life of A-females and in the immature phase for H-females. Missing data for H-females is represented with a hyphen (-).CorrC.txtCorrelated evolution between immature A- and H-femalesData used for BayesTraits analysis of correlated evolution between the immature-only expression of a blue abdominal patch in A- and H-females of the genus Ischnura. The first column gives the species names. The and third column provide character states for A- and H-females respectively. "0" indicates the absence of the blue patch and "1" indicates the presence of the blue patch only during the immature phase. Missing data for H-females is represented with a hyphen (-).CorrI.txt