Search results for "conspicuousness hypothesis"

Predator mimicry, not conspicuousness, explains the efficacy of butterfly eyespots

2015

Large conspicuous eyespots on butterfly wings have been shown to deter predators. This has been traditionally explained by mimicry of vertebrate eyes, but recently the classic eye-mimicry hypothesis has been challenged. It is proposed that the conspicuousness of the eyespot, not mimicry, is what causes aversion due to sensory biases, neophobia or sensory overloads. We conducted an experiment to directly test whether the eye-mimicry or the conspicuousness hypothesis better explain eyespot efficacy. We used great tits ( Parus major ) as model predator, and tested their reaction towards animated images on a computer display. Birds were tested against images of butterflies without eyespots, wi…