Warmer temperatures result in maladaptive learning of sexual preferences

The impact of learning ability and sexual selection on the climate biodiversity crisis is currently unclear. Using African butterfly Bicyclus anynana, which shows strong phenotypic plasticity (i.e., polyphenism) in response to temperature, we tested whether affects mate preferences under warming. We first modelled warming scenarios then showed experimentally that temperature becomes an unreliable cue onset dry season, adult butterflies displayed wet season rather than form. Experienced females were exposed different male seasonal phenotypes during maturation changed preferences. Female fertilization success was reversed for naive compared with experienced females, likely reducing female fitness following Our results emphasize importance selection, learning, their consequences understanding (mal)adaptation natural populations Read free Plain Language Summary this article Journal blog.