Abstract
Adaptation is thought critical for the survival of species under global change, but our understanding of human-induced evolution in the wild remains limited. Here we show that widespread deforestation has underpinned repeated color shifts in wild insects. Loss of forest cover has led to drastic color evolution across lineages that mimic the warning coloration of a toxic forest stonefly. Predation experiments indicate that the relative fitness of color phenotypes varies markedly between forested and deforested habitats. Genomic and coloration analyses of 1200 wild specimens reveal repeated selection at the ebony locus controlling color polymorphism across lineages. These findings represent a compelling case of rapid, replicated anthropogenic evolution linking both the agents and targets of natural selection, revealing the potential for wild populations to adapt in the wake of human-driven change.