Review
Biology
Paul Chatelain, Marianne Elias, Colin Fontaine, Claire Villemant, Isabelle Dajoz, Adrien Perrard
Summary: Many bees and stinging wasps exhibit striking color patterns as a warning signal for their venomous sting. Despite numerous mimicry rings in aculeates, the study of mimicry in this group is underexplored. Aculeates may be one of the most diverse groups engaging in Mullerian mimicry, and understanding its impact on aculeate communities can help in pollinator conservation.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
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
Biology
David W. Kikuchi, Marie E. Herberstein, Michael Barfield, Robert D. Holt, Johanna Mappes
Summary: Warning signals are a striking example of natural selection present in almost every ecological community, but they remain relatively scarce compared to the total prey available. They are thought to be governed by positive density-dependent selection, where they succeed better when more common. Factors influencing the prevalence of warning signals in prey assemblages include prey defenses, predator behavior, numerical responses of predators, diversity of alternative prey and mimics, and variability in ecological circumstances.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Henri Mouy
Summary: The function of conspicuousness in butterflies is not well-studied and can vary between species. This study proposes that striking colorations in some butterflies might have evolved to improve visibility to conspecifics and increase the chances of being in a protected cluster. This mechanism also provides an alternative explanation for mimicry rings observed in Heliconius butterflies.
EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
James G. Ogilvie, Steven Van Belleghem, Ryan Range, Riccardo Papa, Owen W. McMillan, Mathieu Chouteau, Brian A. Counterman
Summary: The evolution of mimicry in similarly defended prey is well described by Mullerian mimicry theory, predicting convergence of warning patterns. However, there is great diversity of color patterns among Mullerian mimics like Heliconius butterflies. Some species have evolved to maintain multiple distinct warning patterns in single populations, known as polymorphic mimicry.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Ananda R. Pereira Martins, Lucas P. Martins, Wing-Zheng Ho, William Owen McMillan, Jonathan S. Ready, Rowan Barrett
Summary: This study investigates the association between distinct phenotypes and different environmental conditions in the red-yellow Mullerian mimicry ring of Heliconius butterflies. The results show that the phenotypic distribution is strongly driven by environmental gradients, with thermal and precipitation variables playing a significant role. However, the associations between phenotype and environment vary at different spatial scales, suggesting the importance of both large-scale analyses and local studies.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Charline Sophie Pinna, Maelle Vilbert, Stephan Borensztajn, Willy Daney de Marcillac, Florence Piron-Prunier, Aaron Pomerantz, Nipam H. Patel, Serge Berthier, Christine Andraud, Doris Gomez, Marianne Elias
Summary: Mullerian mimicry is a positive interspecific interaction where co-occurring defended prey species share a common aposematic signal. Transparency, as perceived by predators, is convergent among co-mimics in some mimicry rings, despite sometimes varied micro- and nanostructures. Nanostructures largely influence light transmission, potentially enabling additional fine-tuning in transmission properties.
Review
Entomology
Stano Pekar, Gunther Raspotnig
Summary: Arachnida, a diverse group of terrestrial arthropods, are not only predators but also often fall prey to other predators. This review discusses the variety of enemies and defenses used by arachnids against their predators, highlighting the need for further research in this area.
ENTOMOLOGIA GENERALIS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
William Casey, Steven E. Massey, Bud Mishra
Summary: Mimicry is observed at various scales, with 'Batesian' and 'Mullerian' types representing different conflicts and common interests between sender and receiver. Studies suggest that invasion by Batesian mimics may destabilize Mullerian mimicry. Additionally, mimicry is not limited to the biological realm, but can also be found in human society.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
James B. Barnett, Justin Yeager, Brendan L. McEwen, Isaac Kinley, Hannah M. Anderson, Jennifer Guevara
Summary: Colour plays an important role in various defensive strategies, and its effectiveness and detectability can be influenced by the size of the structures and how they interact with the background. In this study, researchers investigated size-dependent differences in colour in the gold-striped frog and found that smaller individuals had more detectable colours, while larger frogs exhibited better camouflage. The results suggest a change in defensive strategy from conspicuous signalling to camouflage with increasing size.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ombeline Sculfort, Ludovic Maisonneuve, Marianne Elias, Thomas G. Aubier, Violaine Llaurens
Summary: Variation in the conspicuousness of colour patterns within and among defended prey species can have significant impacts on their survival. The evolution of conspicuous colour patterns can be limited due to the increased detectability by predators, but may be favored if it results in mimicry with other defended prey. This study develops a model to describe the population dynamics of a conspicuous defended prey species and assesses the conditions under which derived phenotypes with different levels of conspicuousness can invade the population. The research findings suggest that less conspicuous colour patterns are generally favored within mimicry rings, but a more conspicuous pattern may be favored if it leads to a better protected mimicry ring.
Article
Biology
Gareth S. Powell, Natalie A. Saxton, Yelena M. Pacheco, Kathrin F. Stanger-Hall, Gavin J. Martin, Dominik Kusy, Luiz Felipe Lima Da Silveira, Ladislav Bocak, Marc A. Branham, Seth M. Bybee
Summary: This study explores the timing and origins of bioluminescence, focusing on fireflies and other beetles. The findings indicate that terrestrial predators played a significant role in driving the evolution of terrestrial beetle bioluminescence, predating the emergence of aerial predators. The study also supports the hypothesis that sexual signaling was probably the original function of bioluminescence in aerial fireflies.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Marta Skowron Volponi, Luca Pietro Casacci, Paolo Volponi, Francesca Barbero
Summary: The study found that the buzzing sounds of Southeast Asian clearwing moths closely resemble those of Tetragonilla collina bees, but differ from two control species of bees. This suggests that clearwing moths exhibit multimodal mimicry of their evolutionary models in terms of morphology, behavior, and sound.
FRONTIERS IN ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Claire Goiran, Terri Shine, Richard Shine
Summary: The evolution of bright warning colors in nontoxic animals is often attributed to mimicry of toxic species. By pulling snake-shaped models through the water and observing the response of predatory fish, the study found that banded color patterns reduce the vulnerability of non-venomous marine snakes to predation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Stano Pekar, Martin J. Whiting, Marie E. Herberstein
Summary: Many prey species use multiple defense strategies during interactions with predators, which can provide advantages against different types of predators. This study examined the defensive traits of five mimics and one non-mimetic species in the myrmecomorphic golden mimicry complex. Predatory trials were conducted using two predators with different characteristics. The results showed that multiple defenses were used against each predator, with some defenses being more effective against specific predators.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2023)