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de Alcantara Viana JV, Campos Duarte R, Vieira C, Augusto Poleto Antiqueira P, Bach A, de Mello G, Silva L, Rabelo Oliveira Leal C, Quevedo Romero G. Crypsis by background matching and disruptive coloration as drivers of substrate occupation in sympatric Amazonian bark praying mantises. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19985. [PMID: 37968331 PMCID: PMC10652001 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46204-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background matching and disruptive coloration are common camouflage strategies in nature, but few studies have accurately measured their protective value in living organisms. Amazon's Bark praying mantises exhibit colour patterns matching whitish and greenish-brown tree trunks. We tested the functional significance of background matching and disruptive coloration of different praying mantis morphospecies (white, grey and green) detected by DNA barcoding. Through image analysis, avian visual models and field experiments using humans as potential predators, we explored whether the background occupation of mantises provides camouflage against predation. Data were obtained for individuals against their occupied tree trunks (whitish or greenish-brown) and microhabitats (lichen or bryophyte patches), compared to non-occupied trunks. White and grey mantises showed lower colour contrasts against occupied trunks at the scale of tree trunk, with no differences in luminance contrasts. Conversely, green mantises showed lower colour and luminance contrasts against microhabitats and also exhibited high edge disruption against greenish-brown trunks. The camouflage of white and green mantis models against colour-matching trunks increased search time and reduced encounter distance of human predators. We highlight the importance of camouflage strategies at different spatial scales to enhance individual survival against predators. Specifically, we present a stunning study system to investigate the relationship of phylogenetically related species that use camouflage in sympatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Vitor de Alcantara Viana
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Laboratório de Interações Multitróficas e Biodiversidade, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), CP 6109, Campinas, São Paulo, CEP 13083-970, Brazil.
| | - Rafael Campos Duarte
- Universidade Federal Do ABC, São Bernardo Do Campo, São Paulo, CEP 09606-045, Brazil
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Camila Vieira
- Departamento de Ciências Básicas, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Campus de Pirassununga, Pirassununga, São Paulo, CEP 13635-900, Brazil
| | - Pablo Augusto Poleto Antiqueira
- Laboratório de Interações Multitróficas e Biodiversidade, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), CP 6109, Campinas, São Paulo, CEP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Andressa Bach
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ecologia E Conservação da Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Avenida Fernando Corrêa da Costa, N° 2367, Boa Esperança, Cuiabá, 78060900, Brazil
| | - Gabriel de Mello
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ecologia E Conservação da Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Avenida Fernando Corrêa da Costa, N° 2367, Boa Esperança, Cuiabá, 78060900, Brazil
| | - Lorhaine Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ecologia E Conservação da Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Avenida Fernando Corrêa da Costa, N° 2367, Boa Esperança, Cuiabá, 78060900, Brazil
| | - Camila Rabelo Oliveira Leal
- Laboratório de Interações Multitróficas e Biodiversidade, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), CP 6109, Campinas, São Paulo, CEP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Quevedo Romero
- Laboratório de Interações Multitróficas e Biodiversidade, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), CP 6109, Campinas, São Paulo, CEP 13083-970, Brazil
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Zakany S, Smirnov S, Milinkovitch MC. Lizard Skin Patterns and the Ising Model. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2022; 128:048102. [PMID: 35148152 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.128.048102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The ocellated lizard (Timon lepidus) exhibits an intricate skin color pattern made of monochromatic black and green skin scales, whose dynamics of color flipping are known to be well modeled by a stochastic cellular automaton. We show that the late-time probability distribution of the pattern corresponds to the canonical probability distribution of the antiferromagnetic Ising model and can be generated by dynamics different from the commonly-used Glauber. We comment on skin scale patterns generated by the Ising model on the triangular lattice in the low-temperature limit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szabolcs Zakany
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Genève, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stanislav Smirnov
- Section of Mathematics, University of Geneva, 7-9 rue du Conseil-Général, 1205 Genève, Switzerland
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 121205 Moscow, Russia
- St. Petersburg University, 199034 St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Michel C Milinkovitch
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Genève, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
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