Character displacement in the fighting colours of
            <i>Hetaerina</i>
            damselflies

Anderson, Christopher N.; Grether, Gregory F.

doi:10.1098/rspb.2010.0935

Cited by 45 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Studies of phenotypic plasticity in species recognition traits may also advance the understanding of the role of plasticity in evolution generally. For example, in the light of our results, the previously documented character displacement patterns in male wing coloration and competitor recognition in Hetaerina damselflies (Anderson & Grether, ,b) may have evolved via selection shifting the timing of the switch to dark‐phase phenotypes or the degree of black pigmentation in dark‐phase variants in sympatric populations. If so, this would be an example of genetic accommodation (West‐Eberhard, ) underlying character displacement (Pfennig & Pfennig, ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 60%

Seasonal polyphenism in wing coloration affects species recognition in rubyspot damselflies (Hetaerina spp.)

Drury

Anderson

Grether

2015

J of Evolutionary Biology

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Understanding how phenotypic plasticity evolves and in turn affects the course of evolution is a major challenge in modern biology. By definition, biological species are reproductively isolated, but many animals fail to distinguish between conspecifics and closely related heterospecifics. In some cases, phenotypic plasticity may interfere with species recognition. Here, we document a seasonal polyphenism in the degree of dark wing pigmentation in smoky rubyspot damselflies (Hetaerina titia) -a shift so pronounced that it led early researchers to classify different forms of H. titia as separate species. We further show how the seasonal colour shift impacts species recognition with the sympatric congener Hetaerina occisa. Interspecific aggression (territorial fights) and reproductive interference (mating attempts) are much more frequent early in the year, when H. titia more closely resembles H. occisa, compared to later in the year when the dark phase of H. titia predominates. Using wing colour manipulations of tethered damselflies, we show that the seasonal changes in interspecific interactions are caused not only by the seasonal colour shift but also by shifts in discriminatory behaviour in both species. We also experimentally tested and rejected the hypothesis that learning underlies the behavioural shifts in H. occisa. An alternative hypothesis, which remains to be tested, is that the seasonal polyphenism in H. titia wing coloration has resulted in the evolution of a corresponding seasonal polyphenism in species recognition in H. occisa. This study illustrates one of the many possible ways that plasticity in species recognition cues may influence the evolution of interspecific interactions.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 60%

Seasonal polyphenism in wing coloration affects species recognition in rubyspot damselflies (Hetaerina spp.)

Drury

Anderson

Grether

2015

J of Evolutionary Biology

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“…Overlap in territorial signals has been hypothesized to be the proximate cause of interspecific fighting in rubyspot damselflies (Odonata: Zygoptera: Calopterygidae: Hetaerina ; (Anderson & Grether ,b, ; Drury & Grether ). Mature males of all species in this New World genus display conspicuous red patches at the base of their wings.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The hindwings of male H. titia can be completely black, while the forewings can be up to approximately two‐thirds black, and the basal red spots of some males are completely masked by black pigment (Calvert ). The extent of black wing coloration varies both geographically (Anderson & Grether ) and seasonally within sites (Johnson ). The basic seasonal pattern is that males emerging in the spring have little or no black wing coloration while males emerging in the summer months have considerable amounts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whether the black wing coloration of H. titia evolved as an adaptation for reducing interspecific fighting is unknown, but it clearly has that proximate effect. The basal red wing coloration on H. titia can also vary seasonally and geographically (sometimes, but not always, in an inverse relationship to the extent of black coloration; Anderson & Grether ). Wing coloration also varies geographically and seasonally in other species of Hetaerina (Cordoba‐Aguilar et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Role of Wing Coloration in Sex Recognition and Competitor Recognition in Rubyspot Damselflies (Hetaerina spp.)

et al. 2015

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The decision rules that animals use for distinguishing between conspecifics of different age and sex classes are relevant for understanding how closely related species interact in sympatry. In rubyspot damselflies (Hetaerina spp.), the red wing coloration of mature males is hypothesized to be a key trait for sex recognition and competitor recognition within species and the proximate trigger for interspecific male-male aggression. We tested this hypothesis by manipulating the wing coloration of tethered conspecific intruders and measuring the responses of territory holders of three species in the field. As predicted, covering the red spots of mature males with black ink nearly eliminated territorial responses, and in some cases, territorial holders clasped the blackened males as if they were females. Adding red spots to female wings triggered territorial responses and nearly eliminated sexual responses. Immature males with artificial red spots were attacked at the same rate as mature male intruders, and much more frequently than were immature male controls. The results varied somewhat by species. In H. titia, the only species of Hetaerina with substantial black wing pigmentation, the effects of blackening the red spots of intruders varied both geographically and seasonally. But even when blackening the red spots of male intruders did not reduce the aggressive response of H. titia territory holders, adding artificial red spots to female wings elicited aggressive responses and nearly eliminated sexual responses. The results of this study further strengthen the evidence that interspecific aggression in Hetaerina results from overlap in territorial signals and that the derived black wing pigmentation of H. titia reduces interspecific aggression.

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“…The data available on birds 50 years ago appeared to support these predictions, but a taxonomically broader view shows that the theory is incomplete. In insects, fishes, frogs and lizards it is common for males of closely related species to compete over mating territories with no apparent common resources at stake [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]. This is often interpreted as a maladaptive by-product of intraspecific territoriality and transient overlap between species in territorial signals [7,16,19,30].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reproductive interference explains persistence of aggression between species

Drury¹,

et al. 2015

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Interspecific territoriality occurs when individuals of different species fight over space, and may arise spontaneously when populations of closely related territorial species first come into contact. But defence of space is costly, and unless the benefits of excluding heterospecifics exceed the costs, natural selection should favour divergence in competitor recognition until the species no longer interact aggressively. Ordinarily males of different species do not compete for mates, but when males cannot distinguish females of sympatric species, females may effectively become a shared resource. We model how reproductive interference caused by undiscriminating males can prevent interspecific divergence, or even cause convergence, in traits used to recognize competitors. We then test the model in a genus of visually orienting insects and show that, as predicted by the model, differences between species pairs in the level of reproductive interference, which is causally related to species differences in female coloration, are strongly predictive of the current level of interspecific aggression. Interspecific reproductive interference is very common and we discuss how it may account for the persistence of interspecific aggression in many taxonomic groups.

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Character displacement in the fighting colours of Hetaerina damselflies

Cited by 45 publications

References 42 publications

Seasonal polyphenism in wing coloration affects species recognition in rubyspot damselflies (Hetaerina spp.)

Seasonal polyphenism in wing coloration affects species recognition in rubyspot damselflies (Hetaerina spp.)

The Role of Wing Coloration in Sex Recognition and Competitor Recognition in Rubyspot Damselflies (Hetaerina spp.)

Reproductive interference explains persistence of aggression between species

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