The key role of behaviour in animal camouflage

Stevens, Martin; Ruxton, Graeme D.

doi:10.1111/brv.12438

Cited by 108 publications

(107 citation statements)

References 140 publications

(214 reference statements)

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“…Colour change (Umbers et al ., ; Duarte, Flores & Stevens, ), substrate selection in relation to phenotype (e.g. Kang et al ., ; Kjernsmo & Merilaita, ; Lovell et al ., ; Marshall, Philpot & Stevens, ; Smithers et al ., ), and orientation behaviour to match the orientation of substrate textures (Kang et al ., , ,b), are also powerful evidence for the importance of background matching for concealment (see review by Stevens & Ruxton, ).…”

Section: Peeling the Onionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Camouflage

2019

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Animal camouflage has long been used to illustrate the power of natural selection, and provides an excellent testbed for investigating the trade‐offs affecting the adaptive value of colour. However, the contemporary study of camouflage extends beyond evolutionary biology, co‐opting knowledge, theory and methods from sensory biology, perceptual and cognitive psychology, computational neuroscience and engineering. This is because camouflage is an adaptation to the perception and cognition of the species (one or more) from which concealment is sought. I review the different ways in which camouflage manipulates and deceives perceptual and cognitive mechanisms, identifying how, and where in the sequence of signal processing, strategies such as transparency, background matching, disruptive coloration, distraction marks, countershading and masquerade have their effects. As such, understanding how camouflage evolves and functions not only requires an understanding of animal sensation and cognition, it sheds light on perception in other species.

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Section: Peeling the Onionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Camouflage

2019

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“…However, in a colourful and variable world, how do organisms match their traits to the local environment to enhance crypsis? Over short time‐scales, form and function can be matched to the local environment through multiple primary mechanisms: switching environments (Pyke, Pulliam, & Charnov, ; Stevens & Ruxton, ), adjustment of the environment (Edelaar & Bolnick, ) or trait change (Duarte, Flores, & Stevens, ; Via & Lande, ). Switching environments (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These two major mechanisms are not mutually exclusive, yet have been studied together only rarely (Edelaar et al, ; Lowe & Addis, ). For instance, when adaptive colour change occurs slowly, this may favour a combined strategy of background matching and plasticity (Stevens & Ruxton, ). While most studies often focus on one mechanism, we will integrate both these mechanisms and attempt to link their use to an adaptive function.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasticity and habitat choice match colour to function in an ambush bug

Boyle

Start

2020

Functional Ecology

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Individuals aim to maximize their fitness by matching their own phenotype to the optimum phenotype in their environment. Individuals can achieve matching through several mechanisms including habitat choice and adaptive plasticity. A key trait of interest to biologists is colour, with background matching reciprocally camouflaging predators and prey. However, the multiple mechanisms matching an individual's colour to their background, and its consequences for function (e.g. species interactions), are rarely explored simultaneously. Here we investigate colour variation in ambush bugs, Phymata americana, that feed on insects visiting white and yellow flowers. We conducted surveys of wild populations to establish phenotype–environment matching and its effects on prey capture, then performed habitat choice and plasticity (colour change) trials to test for the mechanisms underlying putative patterns of habitat matching. Ambush bugs matched their background—yellower ambush bugs were found on yellow flowers and whiter ambush bugs on white flowers, and matching increased prey capture. This pattern was seemingly driven by a combination of plasticity and habitat choice. Our study highlights how organisms can optimize trait values through a combination of plasticity and habitat choice with tangible effects on individual performance. We suggest that multiple mechanisms interactively shape phenotypes, optimizing function and fitness in the wild. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

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“…A). Such a concerted response in developmental effects on adult color and color preference can help ensure that the development of a cryptic adult appearance is matched by a behavioral repertoire that enhances crypsis (for a review, see Stevens and Ruxton ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal plasticity in anti-predatory strategies: Matching of color and color preference for effective crypsis

Bergen

Beldade

2019

Evolution Letters

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Effective anti‐predatory strategies typically require matching appearance and behavior in prey, and there are many compelling examples of behavioral repertoires that enhance the effectiveness of morphological defenses. When protective adult morphology is induced by developmental environmental conditions predictive of future predation risk, adult behavior should be adjusted accordingly to maximize predator avoidance. While behavior is typically strongly affected by the adult environment, developmental plasticity in adult behavior—mediated by the same pre‐adult environmental cues that affect morphology—could ensure an effective match between anti‐predatory morphology and behavior. The coordination of environmentally induced responses may be especially important in populations exposed to predictable environmental fluctuations (e.g., seasonality). Here, we studied early and late life environmental effects on a suite of traits expected to work together for effective crypsis. We focused on wing color and background color preference in Bicyclus anynana , a model of developmental plasticity that relies on crypsis as a seasonal strategy for predator avoidance. Using a full‐factorial design, we disentangled effects of developmental and adult ambient temperature on both appearance and behavior. We showed that developmental conditions affect both adult color and color preference, with temperatures that simulate natural dry season conditions leading to browner butterflies with a perching preference for brown backgrounds. This effect was stronger in females, especially when butterflies were tested at lower ambient temperatures. In contrast to the expectation that motionlessness enhances crypsis, we found no support for our hypothesis that the browner dry‐season butterflies would be less active. We argue that the integration of developmental plasticity for morphological and behavioral traits might improve the effectiveness of seasonal anti‐predatory strategies.

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The key role of behaviour in animal camouflage

Cited by 108 publications

References 140 publications

Camouflage

Camouflage

Plasticity and habitat choice match colour to function in an ambush bug

Seasonal plasticity in anti-predatory strategies: Matching of color and color preference for effective crypsis

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