Selective advantage conferred by resemblance of aposematic mimics to venomous model

Abstract

Mimicry is an excellent example of how natural selection can act on color, morphology, and behavior of species. Herein we assess predation rates on coral snake mimics in Central Brazil, a region with many mimics but only a single model, to answer the following questions: (i) Do predators avoid attacking coral snake mimics? (ii) Does the degree to which mimics resemble their venomous model affect the frequency of predator attacks? (iii) Do predators attack different body regions in mimics with different color patterns? Our experiment was conducted in the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, in the municipality of Alto Paraíso de Goiás, state of Goiás, Brazil. To evaluate predation rates on the different mimic patterns, we made 2,400 clay snake replicas using pre-colored nontoxic plasticine and distributed them in open savanna landscapes within the park. A total of 164 (6.83%) replicas were attacked by predators of snakes. Among these attacks, 121 were attacks by birds, and 43 were attacks by carnivorous mammals. Logistic regression and Fisher’s exact test indicated that replicas with red, white, and black coloration are less likely to be attacked than were grey replicas, and coral snake replicas were attacked more often at the “head” end. Also, the greater the similarity to the pattern of venomous coral snakes, the rarer the attack on the replica. Our study underscores the strong selective force that protects coral snake mimics from predators. Our findings reinforce resemblance to the model as an extremely effective strategy in a complex natural system with only one model and numerous mimics.

Attacks by predators on artificial cryptic and aposematic insect larvae

“…Ecological aspects of aposematic colouration are often studied using artificial prey made of various materials easy to colour. Artificial caterpillars from plasticine have extensive application in predation surveys (Howe et al, ; Roslin et al, ; Mrazova & Sam, ) and are proven to be useful in studies of aposematism and warning colouration too (Dattilo et al, ; França et al, ). In a study using artificial aposematic millipedes, warning colouration pattern involving yellow spots along dark plasticine body mediated avian predator avoidance (Iniesta et al, ).…”

Multiple models generate a geographical mosaic of resemblance in a Batesian mimicry complex

“…To do so, we conducted field experiments using artificial snake replicas. This technique has frequently been used to study coral snakes and their mimics in a variety of temperate [32][33][34][37][38][39][40][41] and tropical habitats [30,31,[42][43][44]. Moreover, camera traps placed at these field sites have demonstrated the efficacy of this method [45].…”

The South American false coral snake Erythrolamprus aesculapii (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) as a possible mimic of Micrurus averyi (Serpentes: Elapidae) in Central Amazonia

“…There is some evidence that a coral-snake color pattern might offer some protection against predators such as birds or mammals (Brodie III 1993, Brodie III and Janzen 1995, Pfennig et al 2007 o ever t e assertion t at specific coral-snake patterns may confer different levels of protection requires further investigation. Many studies have elucidated the ways in which coral-snake mimicry operates in nature (Kikuchi and Pfennig 2010, Davis-Rabosky et al 2016, França et al 2017, Akcali et al 2019, but the role of the mimicry process that produces this coevolutionary pattern must be explored in more dept e first step in eva atin mimetic complexes is to describe the color patterns of the different species occurring in a given region.…”

“…This is because the proportions of red and black (long red rings, in this case) may be more important than the arrangement of the rings as a sign to identify the highly poisonous model Pfennig 2010, França et al 2017). Experimental studies using plasticine models (e.g., Brodie III 1993, Hinman et al 1997, Kikuchi and Pfennig 2010, França et al 2017, Banci et al 2020) would be a useful tool to test such assumptions.…”