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115 results for “aposematism”
Supplementary materials for: How effective are insect aposematism and Batesian mimicry in deterring a wild avian predator?
<p><strong><a name="_Hlk180513890"></a>Acoustic_parameters_10cm.txt</strong><br>Acoustic parameters of the sounds produced by insects in flight, species recorded at 10 cm from the microphone.</p> <p><strong>Acoustic_parameters_5cm.txt<br></strong>Acoustic parameters of the sounds produced by insects in flight, species recorded at 5 cm from the microphone.</p> <p><strong>Robin_behaviours.txt</strong> <br><em>Erithacus rubecula</em> reactions measured in Boris software from videos of behavioural experiments.</p> <p><strong>Rscript_robin_behaviours.R</strong><br>R script used for the analysis of robins’ behaviours (using Robin_behaviours.txt).</p> <p><strong>Rscript_acoustical_analyses.R</strong><br>R script used for the analysis of acoustical parameters of insect buzzing sounds (using Acoustic_parameters_10cm.txt and Acoustic_parameters_5cm.txt).</p> <p><strong>Robin_experiment_video.mp4<br></strong>Behavioural experiment with a wild European robin (<em>Erithacus rubecula</em>) in its habitat. A freshly defrosted insect specimen and the corresponding buzzing sound of each recorded hymenopteran model and lepidopteran mimic (plus a housefly as a control) were presented in random order to the robin at a feeder with <em>Tenebrio molitor</em> larvae.</p> <p><strong>Robin_experiment_video_Metadata.docx</strong><br><span>Metadata for the supplementary video Robin_experiment_video.mp4.</span></p>
Data from: Evolutionary potential and constraints in an aposematic species: Genetic correlations between warning coloration and fitness components in wood tiger moths
<p>Phenotypic data and pedigrees of two laboratory populations of wood tiger moths (<em>Arctia plantaginis</em>) of Finnish (=FIN) and Estonian (=EST) ancestry.</p> <p><strong>Pedigree: </strong><br>ID: individual identifier<br>sire = Father<br>dam=mother</p> <p><strong>Pheno.data: </strong><br>ID: individual identifier<br>Sex: 1=male; 2=female<br>hatchingdate: date when larva hatched<br>pupadate: date of pupation<br>adultdate: date of exclusion<br>Pupa.Weight: weight of pupa [mg]<br>Female.Colour = hindwing colour of females. In this species hindwing colour in females varies continuously from yellow to red. It was quantified by visual matching of hinwdings against a colour scale ranging from 1 = yellow to 6 = red. <br>Signal.Size = larva signal size. Larvae show an orange patch of variable size on the back of their black body. The size is given as number of segments<br>Egg.N = egg number produced by the individual<br>Off.N = offspring number. Larvae were counted 2-3 weeks after egg laying</p> <p> </p>
Predator selection on multicomponent warning signals in an aposematic moth
<p>Aposematic prey advertise their unprofitability with conspicuous warning signals that are often composed of multiple color patterns. Many species show intraspecific variation in these patterns even though selection is expected to favor invariable warning signals that enhance predator learning. However, if predators acquire avoidance to specific signal components, this might relax selection on other aposematic traits and explain variability. Here we investigated this idea in the aposematic moth <em>Amata</em> <em>nigriceps</em> that has conspicuous black and orange coloration. The size of the orange spots in the wings is highly variable between individuals, whereas the number and width of orange abdominal stripes remain consistent. We produced artificial moths that varied in the proportion of orange in the wings or the presence of abdominal stripes. We presented these to a natural avian predator, the noisy miner (<em>Manorina</em> <em>melanocephala</em>), and recorded how different warning signal components influenced their attack decisions. When moth models had orange stripes on the abdomen, birds did not discriminate between different wing signals. However, when the stripes on the abdomen were removed, birds chose the model with smaller wing spots. In addition, we found that birds were more likely to attack moths with a smaller number of abdominal stripes. Together, our results suggest that bird predators primarily pay attention to the abdominal stripes of <em>A. nigriceps,</em> and this could relax selection on wing coloration. Our study highlights the importance of considering individual warning signal components if we are to understand how predation shapes selection on prey warning coloration.</p>
Social information use about novel aposematic prey depends on the intensity of the observed cue
<p>Animals gather social information by observing the behavior of others, but how the intensity of observed cues influences decision-making is rarely investigated. This is crucial for understanding how social information influences ecological and evolutionary dynamics. For example, observing a predator's distaste of unpalatable prey can reduce predation by naïve birds, and help explain the evolution and maintenance of aposematic warning signals. However, previous studies have only used demonstrators that responded vigorously, showing intense beak-wiping after tasting prey. Therefore, here we conducted an experiment with blue tits (<em>Cyanistes caeruleus</em>) informed by variation in predator responses. First, we found that the response to unpalatable food varies greatly, with only few individuals performing intensive beak-wiping. We then tested how the intensity of beak-wiping influences observers' foraging choices using video-playback of a conspecific tasting a novel conspicuous prey item. Observers were provided social information from: (1) no distaste response, (2) a weak distaste response, or (3) a strong distaste response, and were then allowed to forage on evolutionarily novel (artificial) prey. Consistent with previous studies, we found that birds consumed fewer aposematic prey after seeing a strong distaste response, however a weak response did not influence foraging choices. Our results suggest that while beak-wiping is a salient cue, its information content may vary with cue intensity. Furthermore, the number of potential demonstrators in the predator population might be lower than previously thought, although determining how this influences social transmission of avoidance in the wild will require uncovering the effects of intermediate cue salience.</p>
Data for: Investigating signal modalities of aposematism in a poison frog
<p>Aposematic species combine a conspicuous signal with a secondary defense, the majority of which are studied in the context of a visual signal. While multimodality of the aposematic signal appears to be common in invertebrate species, we know very little about the presence or absence of multimodality in vertebrates. Here we examine the possibility of multimodality of aposematism in the green and black poison frog, <em>Dendrobates auratus. </em>Using a non-visual predator (the cat-eyed snake, <em>Leptodeira annulata</em>) and extractions of chemicals in frog skins, we test whether there is sufficient non-visual information for predators to avoid this aposematic species without using visual cues. We found that experienced predators avoid chemicals in this poison frog's skin by olfactory cues alone in trials with live frogs and extracts from captive poison frogs, whereas extracts from wild poison frogs did not lead to avoidance behaviors in predators. Further, in our limited sampling, naïve predators demonstrate no avoidance. This not only indicates that predators can make informed decisions from the frog's odor but also indicates that avoidance based on olfactory cue is a learned response.</p>
Fig. 1 in Fluorescence in fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae): using sentinel prey to investigate a possible aposematic signal
Fig. 1. Seasonal changes in the number of recorded attacks on artificial prey having fluorescent (short-dashed line) and non-fluorescent (long-dashed line) markings between Oct 2017 and Feb 2018. For each trial, 36 observations were made for each treatment; in the fifh and sixth trials there were only 34 observations due to sampling difficulties. Total number of models attacked is also shown.
Fig. 2 in Fluorescence in fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae): using sentinel prey to investigate a possible aposematic signal
Fig. 2. Relationship between climatic variables and the total number of attacks recorded on artificial prey (both treatments combined) during each wk-long assay conducted from Oct 2017 through May 2018 (n = 11 wk): (a) photoperiod (d length in h), (b) average temperature per wk.
Fig. 3 in Fluorescence in fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae): using sentinel prey to investigate a possible aposematic signal
Fig. 3. Dorsal and ventral aspects of the head area of an Ellychnia corrusca adult illuminated with (a, b) Nightsea BlueStar light emitting 440 to 460 nm, and photographed with a longpass yellow filter (500 nm cutoff), and (c, d) the same individual under white light illumination.
Data for: Investigating signal modalities of aposematism in a poison frog
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Social information use about novel aposematic prey depends on the intensity of the observed cue
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Predator selection on multicomponent warning signals in an aposematic moth
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Data for Halpin et al, 'Pattern contrast influences wariness in naïve predators towards aposematic patterns'
<p>The experimental data for the paper 'Pattern contrast influences wariness in naïve predators towards aposematic patterns' by Halpin et al (2020), published in Scientific Reports. The file contains the behaviour of domestic chicks (<em>Gallus gallus domesticus</em>) towards prey that varied in their visual pattern, and specifically whether or not chicks attacked or ate prey (0=not attacked/eaten, 1=attacked/eaten) in each of the five experimental trials. </p>
Data from: Being a bright snake: testing aposematism and mimicry in a Neotropical forest
Based on color patterns and behavioral similarities, venomous coral snake Micrurus corallinus (Elapidae) may act as a model for two polymorphic species, Erythrolamprus aesculapii (Dipsadidae) and Micrurus decoratus (Elapidae). Plasticine replicas were used to investigate the aposematism of these coloration patterns and whether these species may be part of mimetic complexes in two Atlantic Forest localities in South-east Brazil. Coral replicas were more avoided when set upon a white background, evincing that the pattern may act aposematically in contrast with light substrates. Birds attacked all four patterns equally during the mimicry experiments. Birds of prey, known to be effective in predating snakes, are quite abundant in the study areas, which may have led to this lack of avoidance. Accordingly, they predated more adult-sized replicas, which could be more dangerous. Interestingly, opossum avoided the Micrurus corallinus and Erythrolamprus aesculapii replicas that resembled the model. This suggests that opportunistic predators, as the opossum may be important selective agents in mimicry complexes.
Data for: Intraspecific variation in responses to aposematic prey in a jumping spider (Phidippus regius)
<p>Aposematic signals often allow chemically defended prey to avoid attack from generalist predators, including jumping spiders. However, not all individual predators in a population behave in the same way. Here, in laboratory trials, we document that most individual <em>Phidippus regius</em> jumping spiders attack and reject chemically defended milkweed bugs (<em>Oncopeltus fasciatus</em>), immediately releasing them unharmed. However, a small number of individuals within the population kill and completely consume these presumably toxic prey items. This phenomenon was infrequent with only 14% of our sample (17/122) consuming the milkweed bugs over the course of the study. Individuals that killed and consumed bugs often did so repeatedly; specifically, individuals that consumed a bug in their first test were more likely to kill a bug in their second test and also tended to consume them again. We explored what might drive some (but not all) individuals to consume these bugs and found that neither sex, sexual maturity, body size, laboratory housing type, nor being wild‐caught or being laboratory‐reared, predicted milkweed bug consumption. Consuming bugs had no negative effects on spider mass or body condition; contrary to expectations, individuals that consumed milkweed bugs actually gained more body mass and increased in body condition. We discuss potential behavioural and physiological variation between individuals that may drive these rare behaviours and the implications for the evolution of prey defences.</p>
Out in the open: behavior's effect on predation-risk and thermoregulation by aposematic caterpillars
Warning coloration should be under strong stabilizing selection but often displays considerable intraspecific variation. Opposing selection on color by predators and temperature is one potential explanation for this seeming paradox. Despite the importance of behavior for both predator avoidance and thermoregulation, its role in mediating selection by predators and temperature on warning coloration has received little attention. Wood tiger moth caterpillars, <i>Arctia plantaginis</i>, have aposematic coloration, an orange patch on the black body. The size of the orange patch varies considerably: individuals with larger patches are safer from predators, but having a small patch is beneficial in cool environments. We investigated microhabitat preference by these caterpillars and how it interacted with their coloration. We expected caterpillar behavior to reflect a balance between spending time exposed to maximize basking and spending time concealed to avoid detection by predators. Instead, we found that caterpillars preferred exposed locations regardless of their coloration. Whether caterpillars were exposed or concealed had a strong effect on both temperature and predation risk, but caterpillars in exposed locations were both much warmer and less likely to be attacked by a bird predator (great tits, <i>Parus major</i>). This shared optimum may explain why we observed so little variation in caterpillar behavior and demonstrates the important effects of behavior on multiple functions of coloration.
The signal detection problem of aposematic prey revisited: integrating prior social and personal experience
<p>Data collected during three separate experiments using the "novel world" (Alatalo & Mappes, Nature 1996) approach to test how social information changes predator discrimination of novel aposematic prey from a cryptic palatable alternative. Experiments were conducted with great tits (<em>Parus major</em>), captured from the wild and released afterwards, at the University of Jyväskylä Research Station, Konnevesi, Finland (62.6° N, 26.3° E) during three winters (2013-2014, 2016-2017, 2017-2018). Social information was provided by video playback of a demonstrator (adult male) showing an aversive behavioural response to a novel prey signal before observers (juveniles, adults, males, females) searched for prey signals against a background in either an aviary or in a "miniature novel world" in an experimental holding box.</p>
Data from: A ketocarotenoid-based color polymorphism in the Sira poison frog Ranitomeya sirensis indicates novel gene interactions underlying aposematic signal variation
<p>The accumulation of red ketocarotenoids is an important component of coloration in many organisms, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In some organisms, ketocarotenoids are sequestered from the diet and can accumulate when enzymes responsible for carotenoid breakdown are disrupted. In other organisms, ketocarotenoids are formed endogenously from dietary precursors via oxidation reactions carried out by carotenoid ketolase enzymes. Here, we study the genetic basis of carotenoid coloration in an amphibian. We demonstrate that a red/yellow polymorphism in the dendrobatid poison frog <em>Ranitomeya sirensis</em> is due to the presence/absence of ketocarotenoids. Using whole-transcriptome sequencing of skins and livers, we found that a transcript encoding a cytochrome P450 enzyme (CYP3A80) is expressed 3.4-fold higher in livers of red frogs versus yellow. As CYP3A enzymes are known carotenoid ketolases in other organisms, our results point to CYP3A80 as a strong candidate for a carotenoid ketolase in amphibians. Furthermore, in red frogs, the transcript encoding the carotenoid cleavage enzyme BCO2 is expressed at a low level or as a splice variant lacking key catalytic amino acids. This suggests that BCO2 function may be disrupted in red frogs, providing a mechanism whereby the accumulation of ketocarotenoids and their dietary precursors may be enhanced.</p>
Data from: Continuous variation in an aposematic pattern affects background contrast, but is not associated with differences in microhabitat use
<p>Variation in aposematic signals was once predicted to be rare, yet in recent years it has become increasingly well-documented. Despite increases in the frequency with which polytypism and polymorphism have been suggested to occur, population-wide variance is rarely quantified. We comprehensively sampled a subpopulation of the poison frog <em>Oophaga sylvatica</em>, a species which is polytypic across its distribution and also shows considerable within-population polymorphism. On one hand, color pattern polymorphism could be the result of multifarious selection acting to balance different signaling functions and leading to the evolution of discrete sub-morphs which occupy different fitness peaks. Alternatively, variance could simply be due to relaxed selection, where variation would be predicted to be continuous. We used visual modeling of conspecific and heterospecific observers to quantify the extent of within-population phenotypic variation and assess whether this variation produced distinct signals. We found that, despite considerable color pattern variation, variance could not be partitioned into distinct groups, but rather all viewers would be likely to perceive variation as continuous. Similarly, we found no evidence that frog color pattern contrast was either enhanced or diminished in the frogs' chosen microhabitats compared to alternative patches in which conspecifics were observed. Within population phenotypic variance therefore does not seem to be indicative of strong selection towards multiple signaling strategies, but rather pattern divergence has likely arisen due to weak purifying selection, or neutral processes, on a signal that is highly salient to both conspecifics and predators.</p>
Diet influences resource allocation in chemical defence in an aposematic moth
<p>For animals that synthesise their chemical compounds de novo, resources, particularly proteins, can influence investment in chemical defences and nitrogen-based wing colouration such as melanin. Competing for the same resources often leads to trade-offs in resource allocation. We manipulated protein availability in the larval diet of the wood tiger moth, <em>Arctia plantaginis</em>, to test how early life resource availability influences relevant life history traits, melanin production, and chemical defences. We expected higher dietary protein to result in more effective chemical defences in adult moths and a higher amount of melanin in the wings. According to the resource allocation hypothesis, we also expected individuals with less melanin to have more resources to allocate to chemical defences. We found that protein-deprived moths had a slower larval development, and their chemical defences were less unpalatable for bird predators, but the expression of melanin in their wings did not differ from that of moths raised on a high-protein diet. The amount of melanin in the wings, however, unexpectedly correlated positively with chemical defences. Our findings demonstrate that the resources available in early life have an important role in the efficacy of chemical defences, but melanin-based warning colours are less sensitive to resource variability than other fitness-related traits.</p>
Data condition dependence in biosynthesized chemical defenses of an aposematic and mimetic Heliconius butterfly
<p><span>Aposematic animals advertise their toxicity or unpalatability with bright warning coloration. However, acquiring and maintaining chemical defenses can be energetically costly, and consequent associations with other important traits could shape chemical defense evolution. Here, we have tested whether chemical defenses are involved in energetic trade-offs with other traits, or whether the levels of chemical defenses are condition dependent, by studying associations between biosynthesized cyanogenic toxicity and a suite of key life-history and fitness traits in a <em>Heliconius </em>butterfly under a controlled laboratory setting. <em>Heliconius </em>butterflies are well known for the diversity of their warning color patterns and widespread mimicry, and can both sequester the cyanogenic glucosides of their <em>Passiflora </em>host plants and biosynthesize these toxins <em>de novo</em>. We find energetically costly life-history traits to be either unassociated or to show a general positive association with biosynthesized cyanogenic toxicity. More toxic individuals developed faster, had higher mass as adults, and a tendency for increased lifespan and fecundity. These results thus indicate that toxicity level of adult butterflies may be dependent on individual condition, influenced by genetic background or earlier conditions, with maternal effects as one strong candidate mechanism. Additionally, toxicity was higher in older individuals, consistent with previous studies indicating accumulation of toxins with age. As toxicity level at death was independent of lifespan, cyanogenic glucoside compounds may have been recycled to release resources relevant for longevity in these long-living butterflies. Understanding the origins and maintenance of variation in defenses is necessary in building a more complete picture of factors shaping the evolution of aposematic and mimetic systems.</span></p>
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