Diversity in warning coloration is easily recognized by avian predators.

ABSTRACT: Warning coloration is a widespread strategy to alert predators about prey unprofitability. The success of this strategy partly depends on predators being able to learn and recognize certain signals as indicators of toxicity, and theory predicts that this is easier if signals converge on similar colours. However, the diversity in warning signal form is astonishing, contradicting predictions. Here, we quantified ladybird signal diversity with respect to avian vision, measuring how unique and discernible each signal is from one another. In addition, we measured signal conspicuousness against a series of backgrounds, namely an average green, average brown, and where we collected each species, to determine whether signals are more contrasting against the ladybirds' local substrates than compare

SUBMITTER: Arenas LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5518184 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature