DOI: 10.5061/dryad.dz08kps4p
title: Data from: Ultraviolet signaling in a butterfly is preferred by females and conveys male genetic quality

description: Indicator models of sexual selection posit that females chose males on the
 basis of traits that reveal male genetic quality and thereby enjoy
 increased offspring production. Here we report that females of the
 butterfly Eurema hecabe receive indirect benefits from choosing males
 based on their UV wing colouration, a heritable and condition-dependent
 trait in this species. We first used a large laboratory-bred pedigree to
 demonstrate a per-family association between inbreeding and male UV trait
 value. Females exerted choice for UV-bright males within this protocol,
 and average male UV trait value increased over six consecutive generations
 presumably due to such selection and despite an increasing rate of
 pedigree-wide inbreeding. We then experimentally imposed a standard
 strength of inbreeding upon lines of divergent male UV trait value.
 Inbreeding depressed the siring performance of low-UV treatment males more
 severely and resulted in a marginal reduction of their UV brightness,
 which rebounded sharply following subsequent outcrossing. These findings
 are consistent with the ornament-based signaling of genetic quality as a
 function of underlying individual-level mutational load.
description: Data collected from a pedigree-based breeding experiment and
 associated laboratory-based experiments with the butterfly species
 <em>Eurema hecabe</em>. 
description: # Ultraviolet signaling in a butterfly is preferred by females and conveys
 male genetic quality 
 "**Pedigree analysis**" dataset provides mean values for male
 ultraviolet reflectance (UVR) and yellow chroma (YCR) in N = 111 families
 across the F3 - F6 generations of a laboratory-reared pedigree of *Eurema
 hecabe*. "**Inbreeding experiment**" dataset provides UVR values
 for individuals of high- versus low-UV provenance across outbred, inbred
 and outcrossed laboratory-bred generations. "**Mate choice
 experiment**" dataset provides UVR and YCR values for individuals
 that either mated or failed to mate under a laboratory-based mating
 experiment. ## Description of the data and file structure Explanation of
 variables in the "**Pedigree analysis**" dataset: CASE =
 arbitrary case number Generation = generation of the pedigree FAMILY ID =
 unique numeric identifier for each full-sibling family within the pedigree
 SONS N = the number of sons in each full-sibling family F-COEFFICIENT =
 the inbreeding coefficient for individuals within each full-sibling family
 UVR = the family mean value for ultraviolet wing reflectance YCR = the
 family mean value for yellow chroma Explanation of variables in the
 "**Inbreeding experiment**" dataset: CASE = arbitrary case
 (specimen) number Generation = experimental generation, either
 "OUTBRED", "INBRED" or "OUTCROSSED" LINE =
 The pedigree line of provenance for each individual UV TREATMENT = the
 treatment group (LOW/HIGH) for each individual UVR = the value of
 ultraviolet wing reflectance for each individual Explanation of variables
 in the "**Mate choice experiment**" dataset: CASE = arbitrary
 case (specimen) number INDIVIDUAL ID = arbitrary specimen identifier MATE?
 = binary variable coded 1 for individuals that mated and 0 for individuals
 that did not mate. UVR = the value of ultraviolet wing reflectance for
 each individual YCR = the value of yellow chroma for each individual
 Missing values are given as blank cells.