The Evolutionary Importance of Cues in Protective Mimicry

Solan, Thomas de; Aubier, Thomas G.

doi:10.3389/fevo.2019.00283

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…black and yellow stripes) are likely to be the most important (Théry & Gomez, 2010). However, a focus on conspicuous coloration introduces a bias in the literature: other prey attributes, such as body shape or behaviour, are often overlooked (de Solan & Aubier, 2019). These other attributes also may have various non‐warning functions (Hauglund et al ., 2006) and are therefore under other selective pressures.…”

Section: Convergent Traits In Bees and Waspsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These other attributes also may have various non‐warning functions (Hauglund et al ., 2006) and are therefore under other selective pressures. However, they may also be under selection for convergence among mimetic species, since they participate in overall resemblance (de Solan & Aubier, 2019). Below, we review how different traits involved in aculeate Müllerian mimicry, including but not restricted to coloration, have been assessed in the studies included in our analyses.…”

Section: Convergent Traits In Bees and Waspsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Müllerian mimicry among bees and wasps: a review of current knowledge and future avenues of research

et al. 2023

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Many bees and stinging wasps, or aculeates, exhibit striking colour patterns or conspicuous coloration, such as black and yellow stripes. Such coloration is often interpreted as an aposematic signal advertising aculeate defences: the venomous sting. Aposematism can lead to Müllerian mimicry, the convergence of signals among different species unpalatable to predators. Müllerian mimicry has been extensively studied, notably on Neotropical butterflies and poison frogs. However, although a very high number of aculeate species harbour putative aposematic signals, aculeates are under-represented in mimicry studies. Here, we review the literature on mimicry rings that include bee and stinging wasp species. We report over a hundred described mimicry rings, involving a thousand species that belong to 19 aculeate families. These mimicry rings are found all throughout the world. Most importantly, we identify remaining knowledge gaps and unanswered questions related to the study of Müllerian mimicry in aculeates. Some of these questions are specific to aculeate models, such as the impact of sociality and of sexual dimorphism in defence levels on mimicry dynamics. Our review shows that aculeates may be one of the most diverse groups of organisms engaging in Müllerian mimicry and that the diversity of aculeate Müllerian mimetic interactions is currently under-explored. Thus, aculeates represent a new and major model system to study the evolution of Müllerian mimicry. Finally, aculeates are important pollinators and the global decline of pollinating insects raises considerable concern. In this context, a better understanding of the impact of Müllerian mimicry on aculeate communities may help design strategies for pollinator conservation, thereby providing future directions for evolutionary research.

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Section: Convergent Traits In Bees and Waspsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Convergent Traits In Bees and Waspsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Müllerian mimicry among bees and wasps: a review of current knowledge and future avenues of research

et al. 2023

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“…Although PA-insects can be cryptic in appearance, many exhibit aposematic traits (Figs. 1 and 4 ), a general indicator of unprofitability to predators (De Solan and Aubier 2019 ). Many species appear to be involved in Müllerian and/or Batesian mimicry while others are cryptic.…”

Section: What Is Pa-baiting Good For?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Baiting Insects with Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids (PAs): A Fieldwork-Oriented Review and Guide to PA-Pharmacophagy

Boppré,

Monzón

2023

Neotrop Entomol

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Since 1890, many observations of danaine butterflies visiting dry plants of several families in the Old and New World tropics have been published. For 50 years, it has been recognised that Danainae, along with various other insects, seek out 1,2-dehydropyrrolizidine ester alkaloids (PAs) independently of and in addition to their nutritive requirements and utilise them to increase their chances for survival and biological fitness. This represents an unusual type of insect-plant relationship (“PA-pharmacophagy”), with remarkable peculiarities but also with gaps in knowledge, many of which can be filled by employing PA-baiting. We review and analyse the history of records on the attraction of adult insects to PAs and unveil the complex background information on PA-chemistry, PA-producing plants (“PA-plants”), and PA-sequestering insects (“PA-insects”) in order to come up with practical tips for successful baiting with PAs (“PA-baiting”). Studying PA-pharmacophagy integrates taxonomy, behaviour, and ecology with evolutionary biology, chemistry, and toxicology. With basic knowledge of PA-chemistry and bearing the general peculiarities of PA-plants and PA-insects in mind, PA-baiting can be conducted easily and successfully to address many questions on the multifaceted ecology of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. We aim to encourage field researchers in the tropics to employ PA-baiting as a valuable research method in this field of integrative biology.

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Relationship between model noxiousness and mimetic accuracy in myrmecomorphic spiders

Segovia

Pekár

2021

Evol Ecol

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Batesian mimics benefit from their phenotypic similarity to their models. An apparent paradox is the presence of many inaccurate mimics in nature. Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain their existence, including the relaxed selection hypothesis, which postulates that the level of mimetic resemblance avoided by predators is context-dependent. More specifically, predators avoid mimics of lower resemblance that imitate highly noxious models due to the high cost of mistakenly attacking such models. We tested this hypothesis using data on 93 pairs of ant-mimicking spider species and their models. We measured the mimetic resemblance in each spider to its putative model. Then, we estimated the noxiousness of ant models on the basis of their defensive arsenal (i.e. mandibles, spines, sting, and chemical defense). In support of the relaxed selection hypothesis, we found a negative correlation between model noxiousness and mimetic accuracy. The proportion of the variability in mimetic accuracy explained by model noxiousness was not high, indicating that other factors influence the evolution of mimetic accuracy. Finally, this comparative analysis provides evidence of the influence of model noxiousness on mimetic accuracy in a Batesian mimicry system.

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The Evolutionary Importance of Cues in Protective Mimicry

Cited by 4 publications

References 48 publications

Müllerian mimicry among bees and wasps: a review of current knowledge and future avenues of research

Müllerian mimicry among bees and wasps: a review of current knowledge and future avenues of research

Baiting Insects with Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids (PAs): A Fieldwork-Oriented Review and Guide to PA-Pharmacophagy

Relationship between model noxiousness and mimetic accuracy in myrmecomorphic spiders

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