Consistent Associations between Body Size and Hidden Contrasting Color Signals across a Range of Insect Taxa

Loeffler‐Henry, Karl; Kang, Changku; Sherratt, Thomas N.

doi:10.1086/703535

Cited by 26 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…; Loeffler‐Henry et al. ), which are reported in the Supporting Material. These websites are run by amateur lepidopterists and have in most cases high‐quality photos for both butterflies and caterpillars.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 89%

From cryptic to colorful: Evolutionary decoupling of larval and adult color in butterflies

et al. 2020

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Many animals undergo complete metamorphosis, where larval forms change abruptly in adulthood. Color change during ontogeny is common, but there is little understanding of evolutionary patterns in these changes. Here, we use data on larval and adult color for 246 butterfly species (61% of all species in Australia) to test whether the evolution of color is coupled between life stages. We show that adults are more variable in color across species than caterpillars and that male adult color has lower phylogenetic signal.These results suggest that sexual selection is driving color diversity in male adult butterflies at a broad scale. Moreover, color similarities between species at the larval stage do not predict color similarities at the adult stage, indicating that color evolution is decoupled between young and adult forms. Most species transition from cryptic coloration as caterpillars to conspicuous coloration as adults, but even species with conspicuous caterpillars change to different conspicuous colors as adults. The use of high-contrast coloration is correlated with body size in caterpillars but not adults. Taken together, our results suggest a change in the relative importance of different selective pressures at different life stages, resulting in the evolutionary decoupling of coloration through ontogeny.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 89%

From cryptic to colorful: Evolutionary decoupling of larval and adult color in butterflies

et al. 2020

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“…Digital photographs are a powerful medium to study the functional, ecological and evolutionary significance of animal coloration [33]. Recent studies have exhibited the importance of photographic websites for studying the ecology and evolution of animal coloration [34,35]. We deposited photographs of males and females of the Bangladeshi Odonata in our database.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

OdoBD: An online database for the dragonflies and damselflies of Bangladesh

Shah

Khan

2020

PLoS ONE

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Combining scientific data over a long-time period is necessary for generating large-scale datasets, which are an essential component of comparative analysis for understanding evolutionary processes. Furthermore, monitoring temporal and spatial distributions of animals at a global and regional scale is essential for studying climate change driven extinction risks. Regional and global datasets focusing on different animal groups are on the rise to meet such challenges. Although being one of the earliest and best-known insect groups, the data on Odonata remains rudimentary and dispersed, especially in the South Asian region. Bangladesh, being located within a biodiversity hotspot, possesses a large number of odonate species and many of them are endemic to the South Asian region. We have developed an online database for the Odonata of Bangladesh by compiling and digitizing data from our last four years of field studies, from previously published research articles and field guides, and also by collecting data from citizen scientists. The Odonata of Bangladesh database (accessible at http://www.odobd.org) contains phenotypic, genotypic, photographic, taxonomic, biogeographic and faunistic data of the Odonata of Bangladesh. The database will be a valuable resource for understanding diversity, distributions, extinction risks and conservation planning of the Odonata of Bangladesh. Finally, phenotypic, spatial and temporal data of Odonata of Bangladesh datasets can be integrated with other regional datasets for analyzing macroevolutionary trends and to monitor the effect of climate change on odonates.

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“…It is hypothesized that flash displays may also function to frighten or surprise predators, causing them to abandon or be unsuccessful in their pursuit (Murali, 2018). These displays can be seen in the colorful underwings of a variety of moths, namely sphingid and noctuid moths, as well as the hindwings of some orthopterans, mantids, and cicadas (Loeffler‐Henry, Kang, & Sherratt, 2019). Unlike flash displays, where an individual reveals color while in motion (i.e., involves rapid locomotion), deimatic displays often reveal conspicuous coloration while stationary (or with more limited locomotion; Umbers et al., 2017; Umbers, Lehtonen, & Mappes, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, color defenses may be more effective in larger prey than in smaller prey, as larger individuals may look more threatening when using the display (e.g., Hossie, Skelhorn, Breinholt, Kawahara, & Sherratt, 2015). A positive association between body size and hidden contrasting coloration is found in Orthoptera, Mantidae, Phasmatidae, and Saturniidae, but this association is not ubiquitous (Loeffler‐Henry et al., 2019). For instance, no such association is observed in the Sphingiidae clade (Loeffler‐Henry et al., 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A positive association between body size and hidden contrasting coloration is found in Orthoptera, Mantidae, Phasmatidae, and Saturniidae, but this association is not ubiquitous (Loeffler‐Henry et al., 2019). For instance, no such association is observed in the Sphingiidae clade (Loeffler‐Henry et al., 2019). Although these patterns are compelling, they also raise additional questions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Leaf‐footed bugs possess multiple hidden contrasting color signals, but only one is associated with increased body size

Emberts

Miller

Skojec

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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Antipredatory displays that incorporate hidden contrasting coloration are found in a variety of different animals. These displays are seen in organisms that have drab coloration at rest, but when disturbed reveal conspicuous coloration. Examples include the bright abdomens of mountain katydids and the colorful underwings of hawk moths. Such hidden displays can function as secondary defenses, enabling evasion of a pursuant predator. To begin to understand why some species have these displays while others do not, we conducted phylogenetic comparative analyses to investigate factors associated with the evolution of hidden contrasting coloration in leaf‐footed bugs. First, we investigated whether hidden contrasting coloration was associated with body size because these displays are considered to be more effective in larger organisms. We then investigated whether hidden contrasting coloration was associated with an alternative antipredatory defense, in this case rapid autotomy. We found that leaf‐footed bugs with hidden contrasting coloration tended to autotomize more slowly, but this result was not statistically significant. We also found that the presence of a body size association was dependent upon the form of the hidden color display. Leaf‐footed bugs that reveal red/orange coloration were the same size, on average, as species without a hidden color display. However, species that reveal white patches on a black background were significantly larger than species without a hidden color display. These results highlight the diversity of forms that hidden contrasting color signal can take, upon which selection may act differently.

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Consistent Associations between Body Size and Hidden Contrasting Color Signals across a Range of Insect Taxa

Cited by 26 publications

References 48 publications

From cryptic to colorful: Evolutionary decoupling of larval and adult color in butterflies

From cryptic to colorful: Evolutionary decoupling of larval and adult color in butterflies

OdoBD: An online database for the dragonflies and damselflies of Bangladesh

Leaf‐footed bugs possess multiple hidden contrasting color signals, but only one is associated with increased body size

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