Article
Biology
Callum F. McLellan, Innes C. Cuthill, Stephen H. Montgomery
Summary: Prey animals use color and patterning to either avoid detection or advertise their unpalatability. This study examines how pattern use varies across phylogenetically related cryptic and aposematic butterfly larvae with different social behavior. The results show that longitudinal stripes are more common in cryptic larvae, while patterns associated with crypsis are more likely to be used by solitary larvae. Aposematic larvae, on the other hand, are more likely to display horizontal bands and spots. This research advances our understanding of pattern variation, coloration, and social behavior in lepidopteran larvae.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Tim Caro, Manisha Koneru
Summary: Protective coloration strategies are diverse and can be used simultaneously; factors such as body size, mobility are associated with defensive coloration, but the correlation between ecological variables and predictions still needs further research.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Miklos Laczi, Gabor Herczeg, Gyula Szabo, Helga Gyarmathy, Fanni Sarkadi, Janos Torok, Gergely Hegyi
Summary: This study investigated sexual dichromatism in great tits. The results showed marked differences between the breast section of males and the throat and belly sections, with the female's breast appearing less bright. This sexual dichromatism is not easily detected by the human eye. Additionally, a hidden ultraviolet patch was discovered in the male's breast, which may serve as a sexual ornament or signal amplifier.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Susanne Stuckler, Samantha Cloer, Walter Hodl, Doris Preininger
Summary: Carotenoids play a crucial role in animal coloration, influencing both ontogenetic and dynamic color changes. In the Wallace's flying frog, a high carotenoid diet facilitates rapid and reversible body color changes, while the absence of carotenoid supplementation leads to dull coloration. Dynamic color changes are observed in response to tactile stressors and changing light conditions, serving as camouflage and UV protection.
Article
Ecology
O. Penacchio, C. G. Halpin, I. C. Cuthill, P. G. Lovell, M. Wheelwright, J. Skelhorn, C. Rowe, J. M. Harris
Summary: Animal warning signals show remarkable diversity in visual features, and a novel computational modelling approach has been developed to quantify and analyze these features. The study reveals that warning signals generate significantly stronger neural activity in the visual system of predators compared to non-defended patterns.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Diana Abondano Almeida, Johanna Mappes, Swanne Gordon
Summary: Research reveals that predator-simulated handling in wood tiger moth larvae can lead to the development of a more melanized warning signal, smaller body size, and more frequent molting events. The results suggest that plasticity is important in aposematic organisms, but in this case may be complicated by the trade-off between costly pigmentation and other life-history traits.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Emily Burdfield-Steel, Darrell J. Kemp
Summary: Despite the heritability of iridescent coloration, as well as development time and body size in hibiscus harlequin bugs, adult coloration does not appear to be influenced by condition dependence. A negative intersexual genetic correlation was found for iridescent cover, suggesting different selective pressures may act on coloration in males and females of this species.
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Giovanni Polverino, Kevin Sagastume-Espinoza, Leigh W. Simmons, Jennifer L. Kelley
Summary: This study investigates whether individual behavior is dependent on perceived vulnerability using the crowned stick insect as a model. The research finds consistent behavioral differences among individuals, with risk-prone individuals exhibiting more defensive displays. Furthermore, a strong positive correlation is observed between defensive behaviors and reflectance relative to the background, indicating a functional link between behavioral variation and perceived vulnerability.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ugo Lorioux-Chevalier, Mario Tuanama Valles, Stephanie Gallusser, Ronaldo Mori Pezo, Mathieu Chouteau
Summary: Warning signals and mimetic convergence in poison frogs show high variability and negative correlation. Variation in warning signals is continuous between populations in different localities. Coloration is consistently the least variable element and plays a greater role in predator avoidance compared to patterning.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Carita Lindstedt, Robin K. Bagley, Sara Calhim, Mackenzie Jones, Catherine R. Linnen
Summary: Our study explains the origin and maintenance of geographic variation in a diet-based larval pigmentation trait in the redheaded pine sawfly by integrating data from field surveys, predation experiments, population genomics, and phenotypic correlations. The results suggest that the source of pigments and life stage have a significant 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.
Article
Ecology
Callum F. McLellan, Stephen H. Montgomery, Innes C. Cuthill
Summary: Many species use gregarious behavior and warning coloration to protect themselves from predators. This study explores the evolution of larval gregariousness, aposematism, and body size in butterflies, revealing that gregariousness likely evolves after the development of warning coloration, and body size may influence the coloration of solitary larvae. The research also demonstrates the significance of aposematism for the survival of gregarious larvae.
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Julia L. Riley, Tonya M. Haff, Julia Ryeland, Eleanor Drinkwater, Kate D. L. Umbers
Summary: Deimatic behavior is a part of an antipredator strategy performed by prey when attacked, including camouflage and the display of a hidden aposematic signal. This study focused on the mountain katydid's antipredator strategy, specifically the putative aposematic signal. The results showed that the models most resembling real katydids were more likely to be attacked, suggesting that the deimatic phase of the display may have important protective value.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Matthew D. Tarr
Summary: The reduction in caterpillar abundance caused by non-native, invasive shrubs affects the nestling health and reproductive success of shrubland-dependent passerines.
NORTHEASTERN NATURALIST
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Dana Adamova-Jezova, Eliska Hospodkova, Lucie Fuchsova, Pavel Stys, Alice Exnerova
BEHAVIOURAL PROCESSES
(2016)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Michal Ferenc, Ondrej Sedlacek, Jindra Mourkova, Alice Exnerova, Jaroslav Skopek, Jiri Formanek, Roman Fuchs
Article
Biology
Gabriella Gamberale-Stille, Baharan Kazemi, Alexandra Balogh, Olof Leimar
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2018)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Jan Raska, Pavel Stys, Alice Exnerova
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jan Krajicek, Martina Havlikova, Miroslava Bursova, Martin Ston, Radomir Cabala, Alice Exnerova, Pavel Stys, Zuzana Bosakova
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Gabriella Gamberale-Stille, Alexander Schapers, Niklas Janz, Soeren Nylin
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Lucia Doktorovova, Alice Exnerova, Katerina Hotova Svadova, Pavel Stys, Dana Adamova-Jezova, Vitali Zverev, Mikhail V. Kozlov, Elena L. Zvereva
EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Jan Raska, Jan Krajicek, Zuzana Bosakova, Pavel Stys, Alice Exnerova
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Martina Havlikova, Tereza Bosakova, Georg Petschenka, Radomir Cabala, Alice Exnerova, Zuzana Bosakova
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Georg Petschenka, Rayko Halitschke, Tobias Zust, Anna Roth, Sabrina Stiehler, Linda Tenbusch, Christoph Hartwig, Juan Francisco Moreno Gamez, Robert Trusch, Jurgen Deckert, Katerina Chalusova, Andreas Vilcinskas, Alice Exnerova
Summary: Host plant specialization in herbivorous insects varies greatly. This study found that milkweed bugs can colonize novel hosts through physiological adaptations and convergent phytochemistry, providing protection without affecting their growth or development.
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2022)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Alice Exnerova, Changku Kang, Hannah M. Rowland, David W. Kikuchi
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jan Raska, Katerina Chalusova, Jan Krajicek, Radomir Cabala, Zuzana Bosakova, Pavel Stys, Alice Exnerova
Summary: Prey species change their antipredator defence during ontogeny, which is connected to different potential predators over their life cycle. The reactions of spiders and birds to larvae and adults of two invasive true bug species with life-stage-specific chemical defence mechanisms differed significantly. Spiders were deterred by adult bugs' defences, while larvae defences were ineffective against them. Birds attacked larvae less often than adult bugs. The results indicate a predator-specific ontogenetic change in defence effectiveness, likely linked to the life-stage-specific composition of secretions.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Fanny-Linn Kraft, Tereza Forstova, A. Utku Urhan, Alice Exnerova, Anders Brodin
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Eva Landova, Katerina Hotova Svadova, Roman Fuchs, Pavel Stys, Alice Exnerova
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jan Raska, Pavel Stys, Alice Exnerova