Search results for "varoitusväri"

Genetic colour variation visible for predators and conspecifics is concealed from humans in a polymorphic moth

2022

The definition of colour polymorphism is intuitive: genetic variants express discretely coloured phenotypes. This classification is, however, elusive as humans form subjective categories or ignore differences that cannot be seen by human eyes. We demonstrate an example of a 'cryptic morph' in a polymorphic wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis), a phenomenon that may be common among well-studied species. We used pedigree data from nearly 20,000 individuals to infer the inheritance of hindwing colouration. The evidence supports a single Mendelian locus with two alleles in males: WW and Wy produce the white and yy the yellow hindwing colour. The inheritance could not be resolved in females as t…

Geographic variation in the warning signals of the wood tiger moth (Parasemia plantaginis; Arctiidae)

2013

Many forms of the wood tiger moth (Parasemia plantaginis) : selective heterogeneity favours polymorphic warning signals

2013

A synthesis of deimatic behaviour

2022

Deimatic behaviours, also referred to as startle behaviours, are used against predators and rivals. Although many are spectacular, their proximate and ultimate causes remain unclear. In this review we aim to synthesise what is known about deimatic behaviour and identify knowledge gaps. We propose a working hypothesis for deimatic behaviour, and discuss the available evidence for the evolution, ontogeny, causation, and survival value of deimatic behaviour using Tinbergen's Four Questions as a framework. Our overarching aim is to direct future research by suggesting ways to address the most pressing questions in this field. peerReviewed

Warning signalling in European vipers and their mimics : implications for conservation of the smooth snake

2014

Comparative transcriptomics of albino and warningly‐coloured caterpillars

2021

Abstract Coloration is perhaps one of the most prominent adaptations for survival and reproduction of many taxa. Coloration is of particular importance for aposematic species, which rely on their coloring and patterning acting as a warning signal to deter predators. Most research has focused on the evolution of warning coloration by natural selection. However, little information is available for color mutants of aposematic species, particularly at the genomic level. Here, I compare the transcriptomes of albino mutant caterpillars of the aposematic wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis) to those of their full sibs having their distinctive orange‐black warning coloration. The results showed >29…

Experiments on defensive mimicry : linkages between predator behaviour and qualities of the prey

2006

Myrkylliset tai pahanmakuiset lajit voivat puolustautua saalistajia vastaan mainostamalla syömäkelvottomuuttaan näkyvin varoitussignaalein kuten värein. Saalistajien on tavallisesti opittava kokeilemalla välttämään pahoja ja signaloivia eli aposemaattisia lajeja. Varoitussignaaleja myös jäljitellään luonnossa. Batesin mimikria on ilmiö, jossa syömäkelpoinen matkijalaji suojautuu saalistajilta jäljittelemällä aposemaattisen mallilajin signaalia. Müllerin mimikriassa taas aposemaattiset ja ”näköislajit” käyttävät keskenään samanlaisia signaaleja.Loisteliaimmat esimerkit mimikriasta ovat trooppisia perhosia. Väitöskirjassaan Ihalainen tutki, miten samanlainen signalointi ja maku vaikuttavat sa…

Aposematism in the burying beetle? Dual function of anal fluid in parental care and chemical defence

2017

Burying beetles (Nicrophorus vespilloides) bear distinctive and variable orange-black patterning on their elytra and produce an anal exudate from their abdomen when threatened. During breeding, the anal exudates contribute to the antimicrobial defence of the breeding resource. We investigated whether the anal exudates also provide a responsive chemical defence, which is advertised to potential avian predators by the beetle’s orange and black elytral markings. We found that that the orange-black elytral markings of the burying beetle are highly conspicuous for avian predators against range of backgrounds, by using computer simulations. Using bioassays with wood ants, we also showed that the …

Colour alone matters : no predator generalization among morphs of an aposematic moth

2018

Local warning colour polymorphism, frequently observed in aposematic organisms, is evolutionarily puzzling. This is because variation in aposematic signals is expected to be selected against due to predators' difficulties associating several signals with a given unprofitable prey. One possible explanation for the existence of such variation is predator generalization, which occurs when predators learn to avoid one form and consequently avoid other sufficiently similar forms, relaxing selection for monomorphic signals. We tested this hypothesis by exposing the three different colour morphs of the aposematic wood tiger moth, Arctia plantaginis, existing in Finland to local wild-caught predato…

The price of safety: food deprivation in early life influences the efficacy of chemical defence in an aposematic moth

2018

Aposematism is the combination of a primary signal with a secondary defence that predators must learn to associate with one another. However, variation in the level of defence, both within and between species, is very common. As secondary defences influence individual fitness, this variation in quality and quantity requires an evolutionary explanation, particularly as it may or may not correlate with variation in primary signals. The costs of defence production are expected to play a considerable role in generating this variation, yet studies of the cost of chemical defence have focused on species that sequester their defences, while studies in species that produce them de novo are scarce. …