Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Volume 284, Issue 1861, Pages -Publisher
ROYAL SOC
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1287
Keywords
deimatic display; secondary defence; anti-predator adaptation; Lepidoptera; predator-prey; startle display
Categories
Funding
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research of Canada (NSERC)
- NSERC Discovery Accelerator Supplement
- Research Foundation National Research Foundation of Korea [NRF-2014R1A6A3A03053952]
- Genomics Research and Development Initiative (GRDI)
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency through a Genomics Applications Partnership Program (Genome Canada) [GAPP 6102]
- National Research Foundation of Korea [2014R1A6A3A03053952] Funding Source: Korea Institute of Science & Technology Information (KISTI), National Science & Technology Information Service (NTIS)
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Many cryptic prey have also evolved hidden contrasting colour signals which are displayed to would-be predators. Given that these hidden contrasting signals may confer additional survival benefits to the prey by startling/intimidating predators, it is unclear why they have evolved in some species, but not in others. Here, we have conducted a comparative phylogenetic analysis of the evolution of colour traits in the family Erebidae (Lepidoptera), and found that the hidden contrasting colour signals are more likely to be found in larger species. To understand why this relationship occurs, we present a general mathematical model, demonstrating that selection for a secondary defence such as deimatic display will be stronger in large species when (i) the primary defence (crypsis) is likely to fail as its body size increases and/or (ii) the secondary defence is more effective in large prey. To test the model assumptions, we conducted behavioural experiments using a robotic moth which revealed that survivorship advantages were higher against wild birds when the moth has contrasting hindwings and large size. Collectively, our results suggest that the evolutionary association between large size and hidden contrasting signals has been driven by a combination of the need for a back-up defence and its efficacy.
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