The appearance of mimetic Heliconius butterflies to predators and conspecifics.

ABSTRACT: Adaptive coloration is under conflicting selection pressures: choosing potential mates and warning signaling against visually guided predators. Different elements of the color signal may therefore be tuned by evolution for different functions. We investigated how mimicry in four pairs of Heliconius comimics is potentially seen both from the perspective of butterflies and birds. Visual sensitivities of eight candidate avian predators were predicted through genetic analysis of their opsin genes. Using digital image color analysis, combined with bird and butterfly visual system models, we explored how predators and conspecifics may visualize mimetic patterns. Ultraviolet vision (UVS) birds are able to discriminate between the yellow and white colors of comimics better than violet vision (VS)

SUBMITTER: Dell'Aglio DD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6221148 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature