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Chatelain P, Elias M, Fontaine C, Villemant C, Dajoz I, Perrard A. Müllerian mimicry among bees and wasps: a review of current knowledge and future avenues of research. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1310-1328. [PMID: 36994698 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12955] [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: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Many bees and stinging wasps, or aculeates, exhibit striking colour patterns or conspicuous coloration, such as black and yellow stripes. Such coloration is often interpreted as an aposematic signal advertising aculeate defences: the venomous sting. Aposematism can lead to Müllerian mimicry, the convergence of signals among different species unpalatable to predators. Müllerian mimicry has been extensively studied, notably on Neotropical butterflies and poison frogs. However, although a very high number of aculeate species harbour putative aposematic signals, aculeates are under-represented in mimicry studies. Here, we review the literature on mimicry rings that include bee and stinging wasp species. We report over a hundred described mimicry rings, involving a thousand species that belong to 19 aculeate families. These mimicry rings are found all throughout the world. Most importantly, we identify remaining knowledge gaps and unanswered questions related to the study of Müllerian mimicry in aculeates. Some of these questions are specific to aculeate models, such as the impact of sociality and of sexual dimorphism in defence levels on mimicry dynamics. Our review shows that aculeates may be one of the most diverse groups of organisms engaging in Müllerian mimicry and that the diversity of aculeate Müllerian mimetic interactions is currently under-explored. Thus, aculeates represent a new and major model system to study the evolution of Müllerian mimicry. Finally, aculeates are important pollinators and the global decline of pollinating insects raises considerable concern. In this context, a better understanding of the impact of Müllerian mimicry on aculeate communities may help design strategies for pollinator conservation, thereby providing future directions for evolutionary research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Chatelain
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences-Paris (iEES-Paris), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Université Paris Cité, UPEC, 4 Place Jussieu, Paris, 75005, France
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, CP 50, 57 rue Cuvier, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Marianne Elias
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, CP 50, 57 rue Cuvier, Paris, 75005, France
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama
| | - Colin Fontaine
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la conservation, CESCO UMR 7204, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 43 rue Cuvier, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Claire Villemant
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, CP 50, 57 rue Cuvier, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Isabelle Dajoz
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences-Paris (iEES-Paris), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Université Paris Cité, UPEC, 4 Place Jussieu, Paris, 75005, France
- Université Paris Cité, 45 Rue des Saints-Pères, Paris, F-75006, France
| | - Adrien Perrard
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences-Paris (iEES-Paris), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Université Paris Cité, UPEC, 4 Place Jussieu, Paris, 75005, France
- Université Paris Cité, 45 Rue des Saints-Pères, Paris, F-75006, France
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2
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Lorioux-Chevalier U, Tuanama Valles M, Gallusser S, Mori Pezo R, Chouteau M. Unexpected colour pattern variation in mimetic frogs: implication for the diversification of warning signals in the genus Ranitomeya. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230354. [PMID: 37293365 PMCID: PMC10245201 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Predation is expected to promote uniformity in the warning coloration of defended prey, but also mimicry convergence between aposematic species. Despite selection constraining both colour-pattern and population divergence, many aposematic animals display numerous geographically structured populations with distinct warning signal. Here, we explore the extent of phenotypic variation of sympatric species of Ranitomeya poison frogs and test for theoretical expectations on variation and convergence in mimetic signals. We demonstrate that both warning signal and mimetic convergence are highly variable and are negatively correlated: some localities display high variability and no mimicry while in others the phenotype is fixed and mimicry is perfect. Moreover, variation in warning signals is always present within localities, and in many cases this variation overlaps between populations, such that variation is continuous. Finally, we show that coloration is consistently the least variable element and is likely of greater importance for predator avoidance compared to patterning. We discuss the implications of our results in the context of warning signal diversification and suggest that, like many other locally adapted traits, a combination of standing genetic variation and founding effect might be sufficient to enable divergence in colour pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mario Tuanama Valles
- Instituto de Investigación Biológica de las Cordilleras Orientales, Tarapoto, Peru
| | - Stephanie Gallusser
- Instituto de Investigación Biológica de las Cordilleras Orientales, Tarapoto, Peru
| | - Ronald Mori Pezo
- Instituto de Investigación Biológica de las Cordilleras Orientales, Tarapoto, Peru
| | - Mathieu Chouteau
- LEEISA, UAR 3456, Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, Cayenne, France
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3
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Hausmann AE, Freire M, Alfthan SA, Kuo CY, Linares M, McMillan O, Pardo-Diaz C, Salazar C, Merrill RM. Does sexual conflict contribute to the evolution of novel warning patterns? J Evol Biol 2023; 36:563-578. [PMID: 36702779 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Why warning patterns are so diverse is an enduring evolutionary puzzle. Because predators associate particular patterns with unpleasant experiences, an individual's predation risk should decrease as the local density of its warning pattern increases, promoting pattern monomorphism. Distasteful Heliconius butterflies are known for their diversity of warning patterns. Here, we explore whether interlocus sexual conflict can contribute to their diversification. Male Heliconius use warning patterns as mating cues, but mated females may suffer costs if this leads to disturbance, favouring novel patterns. Using simulations, we show that under our model conditions drift alone is unlikely to cause pattern diversification, but that sexual conflict can assist such a process. We also find that genetic architecture influences the evolution of male preferences, which track changes in warning pattern due to sexual selection. When male attraction imposes costs on females, this affects the speed at which novel pattern alleles increase. In two experiments, females laid fewer eggs with males present. However, although males in one experiment showed less interest in females with manipulated patterns, we found no evidence that female colouration mitigates sex-specific costs. Overall, male attraction to conspecific warning patterns may impose an unrecognized cost on Heliconius females, but further work is required to determine this experimentally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E Hausmann
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Marília Freire
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Sara A Alfthan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Chi-Yun Kuo
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Mauricio Linares
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Owen McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Carolina Pardo-Diaz
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Camilo Salazar
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Richard M Merrill
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
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4
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da Rocha SM, Magnusson WE, Rojas D, Lima AP. Colour, location and movement: what do models tell us about predation on colour morphs of a poison frog from eastern Amazonia? BEHAVIOUR 2022. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-bja10168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Many dendrobatid frogs are known to be aposematic: brightly coloured and unpalatable to predators. To deceive predators, frog models used to test for predatory colour bias must be similar in size, colour, shape, and movement to frogs. We carried out an experiment with moving models of the species Adelphobates galactonotus, in two localities. A. galactonotus is a polytypic frog and each population of the species has a distinct colour. Birds and mammals were the vertebrates responsible for the marks on the models, but there was no difference in frequency of attacks on local-, non-local- and cryptic-colour models. Only invertebrates avoided cryptic models. Different populations of the species seem to be under different predation pressure, but colour differentiation in this species is probably related to other mechanisms, such as sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sulamita M.C. da Rocha
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Av. André, Araújo 2936, 69011-970 Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - William E. Magnusson
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Av. André, Araújo 2936, 69011-970 Manaus, AM, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Coordenação de Pesquisas em Biodiversidade, Av. André Araújo, 2936, 69011-970, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Diana Rojas
- Ecopescado, P.O. Box 37, 69640-000 Tabatinga, AM, Brazil
| | - Albertina P. Lima
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Av. André, Araújo 2936, 69011-970 Manaus, AM, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Coordenação de Pesquisas em Biodiversidade, Av. André Araújo, 2936, 69011-970, Manaus, AM, Brazil
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5
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Sculfort O, Maisonneuve L, Elias M, Aubier TG, Llaurens V. Uncovering the effects of Müllerian mimicry on the evolution of conspicuousness in colour patterns. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ombeline Sculfort
- Inst. de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne‐Univ., EPHE, Univ. des Antilles Paris France
- Molécules de Communication et Adaptations des Micro‐organismes (MCAM), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS Paris France
- Laboratoire Écologie, Évolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), Univ. de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER Cayenne France
| | - Ludovic Maisonneuve
- Inst. de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne‐Univ., EPHE, Univ. des Antilles Paris France
| | - Marianne Elias
- Inst. de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne‐Univ., EPHE, Univ. des Antilles Paris France
| | | | - Violaine Llaurens
- Inst. de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne‐Univ., EPHE, Univ. des Antilles Paris France
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6
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Lindstedt C, Bagley R, Calhim S, Jones M, Linnen C. The impact of life stage and pigment source on the evolution of novel warning signal traits. Evolution 2022; 76:554-572. [PMID: 35103303 PMCID: PMC9304160 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of how novel warning color traits evolve in natural populations is largely based on studies of reproductive stages and organisms with endogenously produced pigmentation. In these systems, genetic drift is often required for novel alleles to overcome strong purifying selection stemming from frequency‐dependent predation and positive assortative mating. Here, we integrate data from field surveys, predation experiments, population genomics, and phenotypic correlations to explain the origin and maintenance of geographic variation in a diet‐based larval pigmentation trait in the redheaded pine sawfly (Neodiprion lecontei), a pine‐feeding hymenopteran. Although our experiments confirm that N. lecontei larvae are indeed aposematic—and therefore likely to experience frequency‐dependent predation—our genomic data do not support a historical demographic scenario that would have facilitated the spread of an initially deleterious allele via drift. Additionally, significantly elevated differentiation at a known color locus suggests that geographic variation in larval color is currently maintained by selection. Together, these data suggest that the novel white morph likely spread via selection. However, white body color does not enhance aposematic displays, nor is it correlated with enhanced chemical defense or immune function. Instead, the derived white‐bodied morph is disproportionately abundant on a pine species with a reduced carotenoid content relative to other pine hosts, suggesting that bottom‐up selection via host plants may have driven divergence among populations. Overall, our results suggest that life stage and pigment source can have a substantial impact on the evolution of novel warning signals, highlighting the need to investigate diverse aposematic taxa to develop a comprehensive understanding of color variation in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carita Lindstedt
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Robin Bagley
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 40506, USA.,Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University at Lima, Lima, OH, 45804, USA
| | - Sara Calhim
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Mackenzie Jones
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 40506, USA
| | - Catherine Linnen
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 40506, USA
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7
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Aubier TG, Sherratt TN. State-Dependent Decision-Making by Predators and Its Consequences for Mimicry. Am Nat 2020; 196:E127-E144. [PMID: 33064589 DOI: 10.1086/710568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe mimicry of one species by another provides one of the most celebrated examples of evolution by natural selection. Edible Batesian mimics deceive predators into believing they may be defended, whereas defended Müllerian mimics have evolved a shared warning signal, more rapidly educating predators to avoid them. However, it may benefit hungry predators to attack defended prey, while the benefits of learning about unfamiliar prey depends on the future value of this information. Previous energetic state-dependent models of predator foraging behavior have assumed complete knowledge, while informational state-dependent models have assumed fixed levels of hunger. Here, we identify the optimal decision rules of predators accounting for both energetic and informational states. We show that the nature of mimicry is qualitatively and quantitatively affected by both sources of state dependence. Associative learning weakens the extent of parasitic mimicry by edible prey because naive predators often attack defended models. More importantly, mimicry among equally highly defended prey may be parasitic or mutualistic depending on the ecological context (e.g., the source of mimics and the abundance of alternative prey). Finally, mimicry by prey with intermediate defenses corresponds to Batesian or Müllerian mimicry depending on whether the mimic is profitable to attack by hungry predators, but it is not a special case of mimicry.
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8
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Rönkä K, Valkonen JK, Nokelainen O, Rojas B, Gordon S, Burdfield‐Steel E, Mappes J. Geographic mosaic of selection by avian predators on hindwing warning colour in a polymorphic aposematic moth. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1654-1663. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Katja Rönkä
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Life SciencesUniversity of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Janne K. Valkonen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Ossi Nokelainen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Swanne Gordon
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
- Department of Biology Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis MO USA
| | - Emily Burdfield‐Steel
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
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9
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Interactions in multi-pattern Müllerian communities support origins of new patterns, false structures, imperfect resemblance and mimetic sexual dimorphism. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11193. [PMID: 32641709 PMCID: PMC7343875 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68027-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mimicry is a hot spot of evolutionary research, but de novo origins of aposematic patterns, the persistence of multiple patterns in Müllerian communities, and the persistence of imperfect mimics still need to be investigated. Local mimetic assemblages can contain up to a hundred of species, their structure can be a result of multiple dispersal events, and the gradual build-up of the communities. Here, we investigate the structure of lowland and mountain mimetic communities of net-winged beetles by sampling the Crocker Range in north-eastern Borneo and neighbouring regions. The local endemics evolved from the Bornean lowland fauna which is highly endemic at the species level. We inferred that metriorrhynchine net-winged beetles evolved in high elevations yellow/black and reticulate aposematic high-contrast signals from a widespread low-contrast brown/black pattern. As the mountain range is ~ 6 million years old, and these patterns do not occur elsewhere, we assume their in situ origins. We demonstrate that a signal with increased internal contrast can evolve de novo in a mimetic community and can persist despite its low frequency. Additionally, a similar aposematic signal evolves from different structures and its similarity is imperfect. The community with multiple patterns sets conditions for the evolution of aposematic sexual dimorphism as demonstrated by the yellow/black male and reticulate female pattern of Micronychus pardus. These insights elucidate the complex character of the evolution of mimetic signalling in the dynamically diversifying biota of high tropical mountains.
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10
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Hämäläinen L, Thorogood R. The signal detection problem of aposematic prey revisited: integrating prior social and personal experience. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190473. [PMID: 32420858 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ever since Alfred R. Wallace suggested brightly coloured, toxic insects warn predators about their unprofitability, evolutionary biologists have searched for an explanation of how these aposematic prey evolve and are maintained in natural populations. Understanding how predators learn about this widespread prey defence is fundamental to addressing the problem, yet individuals differ in their foraging decisions and the predominant application of associative learning theory largely ignores predators' foraging context. Here we revisit the suggestion made 15 years ago that signal detection theory provides a useful framework to model predator learning by emphasizing the integration of prior information into predation decisions. Using multiple experiments where we modified the availability of social information using video playback, we show that personal information (sampling aposematic prey) improves how predators (great tits, Parus major) discriminate between novel aposematic and cryptic prey. However, this relationship was not linear and beyond a certain point personal encounters with aposematic prey were no longer informative for prey discrimination. Social information about prey unpalatability reduced attacks on aposematic prey across learning trials, but it did not influence the relationship between personal sampling and discrimination. Our results suggest therefore that acquiring social information does not influence the value of personal information, but more experiments are needed to manipulate pay-offs and disentangle whether information sources affect response thresholds or change discrimination. This article is part of the theme issue 'Signal detection theory in recognition systems: from evolving models to experimental tests'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liisa Hämäläinen
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.,Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland.,Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Rose Thorogood
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.,HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00011, Finland.,Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00011, Finland
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11
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Kikuchi DW, Waldron SJ, Valkonen JK, Dobler S, Mappes J. Biased predation could promote convergence yet maintain diversity within Müllerian mimicry rings of Oreina leaf beetles. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:887-898. [PMID: 32202678 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Müllerian mimicry is a classic example of adaptation, yet Müller's original theory does not account for the diversity often observed in mimicry rings. Here, we aimed to assess how well classical Müllerian mimicry can account for the colour polymorphism found in chemically defended Oreina leaf beetles by using field data and laboratory assays of predator behaviour. We also evaluated the hypothesis that thermoregulation can explain diversity between Oreina mimicry rings. We found that frequencies of each colour morph were positively correlated among species, a critical prediction of Müllerian mimicry. Predators learned to associate colour with chemical defences. Learned avoidance of the green morph of one species protected green morphs of another species. Avoidance of blue morphs was completely generalized to green morphs, but surprisingly, avoidance of green morphs was less generalized to blue morphs. This asymmetrical generalization should favour green morphs: indeed, green morphs persist in blue communities, whereas blue morphs are entirely excluded from green communities. We did not find a correlation between elevation and coloration, rejecting thermoregulation as an explanation for diversity between mimicry rings. Biased predation could explain within-community diversity in warning coloration, providing a solution to a long-standing puzzle. We propose testable hypotheses for why asymmetric generalization occurs, and how predators maintain the predominance of blue morphs in a community, despite asymmetric generalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Kikuchi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.,Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Centre of Excellence in Evolutionary Research, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.,Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Samuel J Waldron
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Centre of Excellence in Evolutionary Research, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.,Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Janne K Valkonen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Centre of Excellence in Evolutionary Research, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Susanne Dobler
- Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Centre of Excellence in Evolutionary Research, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.,Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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12
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Briolat ES, Burdfield‐Steel ER, Paul SC, Rönkä KH, Seymoure BM, Stankowich T, Stuckert AMM. Diversity in warning coloration: selective paradox or the norm? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:388-414. [PMID: 30152037 PMCID: PMC6446817 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Aposematic theory has historically predicted that predators should select for warning signals to converge on a single form, as a result of frequency-dependent learning. However, widespread variation in warning signals is observed across closely related species, populations and, most problematically for evolutionary biologists, among individuals in the same population. Recent research has yielded an increased awareness of this diversity, challenging the paradigm of signal monomorphy in aposematic animals. Here we provide a comprehensive synthesis of these disparate lines of investigation, identifying within them three broad classes of explanation for variation in aposematic warning signals: genetic mechanisms, differences among predators and predator behaviour, and alternative selection pressures upon the signal. The mechanisms producing warning coloration are also important. Detailed studies of the genetic basis of warning signals in some species, most notably Heliconius butterflies, are beginning to shed light on the genetic architecture facilitating or limiting key processes such as the evolution and maintenance of polymorphisms, hybridisation, and speciation. Work on predator behaviour is changing our perception of the predator community as a single homogenous selective agent, emphasising the dynamic nature of predator-prey interactions. Predator variability in a range of factors (e.g. perceptual abilities, tolerance to chemical defences, and individual motivation), suggests that the role of predators is more complicated than previously appreciated. With complex selection regimes at work, polytypisms and polymorphisms may even occur in Müllerian mimicry systems. Meanwhile, phenotypes are often multifunctional, and thus subject to additional biotic and abiotic selection pressures. Some of these selective pressures, primarily sexual selection and thermoregulation, have received considerable attention, while others, such as disease risk and parental effects, offer promising avenues to explore. As well as reviewing the existing evidence from both empirical studies and theoretical modelling, we highlight hypotheses that could benefit from further investigation in aposematic species. Finally by collating known instances of variation in warning signals, we provide a valuable resource for understanding the taxonomic spread of diversity in aposematic signalling and with which to direct future research. A greater appreciation of the extent of variation in aposematic species, and of the selective pressures and constraints which contribute to this once-paradoxical phenomenon, yields a new perspective for the field of aposematic signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle S. Briolat
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FEU.K.
| | - Emily R. Burdfield‐Steel
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskylä, 40014Finland
| | - Sarah C. Paul
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FEU.K.
- Department of Chemical EcologyBielefeld UniversityUniversitätsstraße 25, 33615, BielefeldGermany
| | - Katja H. Rönkä
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskylä, 40014Finland
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinki, 00014Finland
| | - Brett M. Seymoure
- Department of BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCO 80525U.S.A.
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCO 80525U.S.A.
| | - Theodore Stankowich
- Department of Biological SciencesCalifornia State UniversityLong BeachCA 90840U.S.A.
| | - Adam M. M. Stuckert
- Department of BiologyEast Carolina University1000 E Fifth St, GreenvilleNC 27858U.S.A.
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13
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Jiruskova A, Motyka M, Bocek M, Bocak L. The Malacca Strait separates distinct faunas of poorly-flying Cautires net-winged beetles. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6511. [PMID: 30863675 PMCID: PMC6407506 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated the spatial and temporal patterns of Cautires diversification on the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra to understand if the narrow and frequently dry Malacca Strait separates different faunas. Moreover, we analyzed the origin of Cautires in Malayan and Sumatran mountains. We sampled 18 localities and present the mtDNA-based phylogeny of 76 species represented by 388 individuals. The phylogenetic tree was dated using mtDNA evolution rates and the ancestral ranges were estimated using the maximum likelihood approach. The phylogeny identified multiple lineages on the Malay Peninsula since the Upper Eocene (35 million years ago, mya) and a delayed evolution of diversity in Sumatra since the Upper Oligocene (26 mya). A limited number of colonization events across the Malacca Strait was identified up to the Pliocene and more intensive faunal exchange since the Pleistocene. The early colonization events were commonly followed by in situ diversification. As a result, the Malacca Strait now separates two faunas with a high species-level turnover. The montane fauna diversified in a limited space and seldom took part in colonization events across the Strait. Besides isolation by open sea or a savannah corridor, mimetic patterns could decrease the colonization capacity of Cautires. The Malay fauna is phylogenetically more diverse and has a higher value if conservation priorities should be defined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Jiruskova
- Laboratory of Molecular Systematics, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Motyka
- Laboratory of Molecular Systematics, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Matej Bocek
- Laboratory of Molecular Systematics, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Ladislav Bocak
- Laboratory of Molecular Systematics, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
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14
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Bosque RJ, Lawrence JP, Buchholz R, Colli GR, Heppard J, Noonan B. Diversity of warning signal and social interaction influences the evolution of imperfect mimicry. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:7490-7499. [PMID: 30151165 PMCID: PMC6106177 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Mimicry, the resemblance of one species by another, is a complex phenomenon where the mimic (Batesian mimicry) or the model and the mimic (Mullerian mimicry) gain an advantage from this phenotypic convergence. Despite the expectation that mimics should closely resemble their models, many mimetic species appear to be poor mimics. This is particularly apparent in some systems in which there are multiple available models. However, the influence of model pattern diversity on the evolution of mimetic systems remains poorly understood. We tested whether the number of model patterns a predator learns to associate with a negative consequence affects their willingness to try imperfect, novel patterns. We exposed week-old chickens to coral snake (Micrurus) color patterns representative of three South American areas that differ in model pattern richness, and then tested their response to the putative imperfect mimetic pattern of a widespread species of harmless colubrid snake (Oxyrhopus rhombifer) in different social contexts. Our results indicate that chicks have a great hesitation to attack when individually exposed to high model pattern diversity and a greater hesitation to attack when exposed as a group to low model pattern diversity. Individuals with a fast growth trajectory (measured by morphological traits) were also less reluctant to attack. We suggest that the evolution of new patterns could be favored by social learning in areas of low pattern diversity, while individual learning can reduce predation pressure on recently evolved mimics in areas of high model diversity. Our results could aid the development of ecological predictions about the evolution of imperfect mimicry and mimicry in general.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Brice Noonan
- The University of MississippiUniversityMississippi
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15
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Phenotype-dependent mate choice and the influence of mixed-morph lineage on the reproductive success of a polymorphic and aposematic moth. Evol Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-018-9944-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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16
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Sherratt TN, Peet-Paré CA. The perfection of mimicry: an information approach. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0340. [PMID: 28533457 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We consider why imperfect deceptive mimics can persist when it appears to be in the predator's interest to discriminate finely between mimics and their models. One theory is that a receiver will accept being duped if the model and mimic overlap in appearance and the relative costs of attacking the model are high. However, a more fundamental explanation for the difficulty of discrimination is not based on perceptual uncertainty, but simply based on a lack of information. In particular, predators in the process of learning may cease sampling imperfect mimics entirely because the immediate pay-off and future value of information is low, allowing such mimics to persist. This outcome will be particularly likely when the model is relatively costly to attack and/or the discriminative rules the predator has to learn are complex. Information limitations neatly explain why predators tend to adopt discriminative rules based on single traits (such as stripe colour), rather than on combinations of traits (such as stripe order). They also explain why predators utilize certain salient discriminative traits while ignoring equally informative ones (a phenomenon known as overshadowing), and why imperfect mimics may be more common in phenotypically diverse prey communities.This article is part of the themed issue 'Animal coloration: production, perception, function and application'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas N Sherratt
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - Casey A Peet-Paré
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6
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17
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Flanary KM, Johnson JB. Anal fin pigmentation in Brachyrhaphis fishes is not used for sexual mimicry. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0194121. [PMID: 29554139 PMCID: PMC5858833 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mimicry can occur in several contexts, including sexual interactions. In some cases, males mimic females to gain access to potential mates. In contrast, there are relatively few examples of species where females mimic males, and we know very little about what drives these patterns. Two hypotheses have been advanced to explain female mimicry of males. The first is that mimicry is used to reduce harassment of females by males. The second is that mimicry is used to display dominance over other females. In this study, we tested these hypotheses in Brachyrhaphis fishes, wherein females of several species have pigmentation on their anal fin of the same coloration and shape, and in the same location, as the genitalia of males. To test if female mimicry of males reduces male harassment, we experimentally manipulated female pigmentation and observed male preference for females with and without male-like pigmentation. To test the effect that female mimicry of males has on female dominance, we observed how females respond to anal fin pigmentation patterns of companion females. We found that neither of these hypotheses was supported by our data. We conclude that similarities in anal fin pigmentation between male and female Brachyrhaphis fishes is not an adaptation to reduce male harassment or to signal dominance between females. Alternative explanations must exist, including the possibility that these similarities are simply non-adaptive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kandace M. Flanary
- Evolutionary Ecology Laboratories, Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
| | - Jerald B. Johnson
- Evolutionary Ecology Laboratories, Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
- Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
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18
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Phylogeny and evolution of Müllerian mimicry in aposematic Dilophotes: evidence for advergence and size-constraints in evolution of mimetic sexual dimorphism. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3744. [PMID: 29487341 PMCID: PMC5829258 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22155-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple patterns and intraspecific polymorphism should not persist in mutualistic Müllerian systems due to purifying and frequency-dependent selection, but they are commonly identified in nature. We analysed molecular phylogeny and reconstructed dispersal history of 58 species of Dilophotes (Coleoptera: Lycidae) in Asia. Dilophotes colonized the Great Sundas and Malay Peninsula where they joined extensive mimetic communities of net-winged beetles. We identified the brightly bi-coloured males and females which adverged on five occasions to different autochthonous models. This is the first described case of Müllerian sexual dimorphism based on sex-specific body size. We propose that the constraint, i.e. the conservative sexual size dimorphism, forced the unprofitable prey to such complex adaptation in a multi-pattern environment. Although mimetic sexual dimorphism has frequently evolved in Dilophotes, a single pattern has been maintained by both sexes in multiple closely related, sympatrically occurring species. Some patterns may be suboptimal because they are rare, crudely resemble co-mimics, or are newly evolved, but they persist in Müllerian communities for a long time. We assume that failure to closely resemble the most common model can increase the diversity of large Müllerian communities and produce mimetic dimorphism.
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19
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Hantak MM, Kuchta SR. Predator perception across space and time: relative camouflage in a colour polymorphic salamander. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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20
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Holmes IA, Grundler MR, Davis Rabosky AR. Predator Perspective Drives Geographic Variation in Frequency-Dependent Polymorphism. Am Nat 2017; 190:E78-E93. [PMID: 28937812 DOI: 10.1086/693159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Color polymorphism in natural populations can manifest as a striking patchwork of phenotypes in space, with neighboring populations characterized by dramatic differences in morph composition. These geographic mosaics can be challenging to explain in the absence of localized selection because they are unlikely to result from simple isolation-by-distance or clinal variation in selective regimes. To identify processes that can lead to the formation of geographic mosaics, we developed a simulation-based model to explore the influence of predator perspective, selection, migration, and genetic linkage of color loci on allele frequencies in polymorphic populations over space and time. Using simulated populations inspired by the biology of Heliconius longwing butterflies, Cepaea land snails, Oophaga poison frogs, and Sonora ground snakes, we found that the relative sizes of predator and prey home ranges can produce large differences in morph composition between neighboring populations under both positive and negative frequency-dependent selection. We also demonstrated the importance of the interaction of predator perspective with the type of frequency dependence and localized directional selection across migration and selection intensities. Our results show that regional-scale predation can promote the formation of phenotypic mosaics in prey species, without the need to invoke spatial variation in selective regimes. We suggest that predator behavior can play an important and underappreciated role in the formation and maintenance of geographic mosaics in polymorphic species.
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21
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Aubier TG, Elias M, Llaurens V, Chazot N. Mutualistic mimicry enhances species diversification through spatial segregation and extension of the ecological niche space. Evolution 2017; 71:826-844. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas G. Aubier
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive; CEFE - UMR 5175 - CNRS, Université de Montpellier, EPHE, Université Paul Valéry; 1919 route de Mende, F-34293 Montpellier 5 France
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Sorbonne Universités; 57 rue Cuvier, CP50 F-75005 Paris France
| | - Marianne Elias
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Sorbonne Universités; 57 rue Cuvier, CP50 F-75005 Paris France
| | - Violaine Llaurens
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Sorbonne Universités; 57 rue Cuvier, CP50 F-75005 Paris France
| | - Nicolas Chazot
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Sorbonne Universités; 57 rue Cuvier, CP50 F-75005 Paris France
- Department of Biology; Lund University; Lund Sweden
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22
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Aubier TG, Joron M, Sherratt TN. Mimicry among Unequally Defended Prey Should Be Mutualistic When Predators Sample Optimally. Am Nat 2017; 189:267-282. [DOI: 10.1086/690121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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23
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Rowland HM, Fulford AJ, Ruxton GD. Predator learning differences affect the survival of chemically defended prey. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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24
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Muñoz-Ramírez CP, Bitton PP, Doucet SM, Knowles LL. Mimics here and there, but not everywhere: Müllerian mimicry in Ceroglossus ground beetles? Biol Lett 2016; 12:rsbl.2016.0429. [PMID: 27677815 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ground beetle genus Ceroglossus contains co-distributed species that show pronounced intraspecific diversity in the form of geographical colour morphs. While colour morphs among different species appear to match in some geographical regions, in others, there is little apparent colour matching. Mimicry is a potential explanation for covariation in colour patterns, but it is not clear whether the degree of sympatric colour matching is higher than expected by chance given the obvious mismatches among morphs in some regions. Here, we used reflectance spectrometry to quantify elytral coloration from the perspective of an avian predator to test whether colour similarity between species is, indeed, higher in sympatry. After finding no significant phylogenetic signal in the colour data, analyses showed strong statistical support for sympatric colour similarity between species despite the apparent lack of colour matching in some areas. We hypothesize Müllerian mimicry as the responsible mechanism for sympatric colour similarity in Ceroglossus and discuss potential explanations and future directions to elucidate why mimicry has not developed similar levels of interspecific colour resemblance across space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos P Muñoz-Ramírez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1079, USA
| | - Pierre-Paul Bitton
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Biology Building, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4
| | - Stéphanie M Doucet
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Biology Building, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4
| | - Lacey L Knowles
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1079, USA
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