The Relevance of Flash Coloration Against Avian Predation in a Morpho Butterfly: A Field Experiment in a Tropical Rainforest

Autor(es)

Vieira-Silva, Aline ; Evora, Gabriel B. ; Freitas, Andre V. L. ; Oliveira, Paulo S.

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Ethology; v. 130, n. 12, p. 9-pg., 2024-10-24.

Resumo

The flash coloration hypothesis postulates that otherwise cryptically colored animals suddenly displaying conspicuous colors during movement confuse predators, reducing capture. Morpho helenor butterflies have contrasting colors on dorsal (iridescent blue) and ventral (brown) wing surfaces, resulting in sequential blue "flashes" during flight. We tested whether this flashing pattern reduces avian predation on M. helenor in Atlantic rainforest by changing the flashing effect in three experiments. In Experiment 1, we added a blue band to the ventral wing. In Experiment 2, we covered the dorsal wing's blue band with a brown band. Control groups in each experiment were painted such that wing color patterns remained unaltered. Survivorship was evaluated through mark-recapture censuses and beak marks on the wings. Results show that survivorship of treated butterflies in Experiment 1 decrease markedly compared to unaltered control individuals, while survivorship of treated butterflies in Experiment 2 did not differ compared to control individuals. In Experiment 3, we detected scant predation on treated (blue band added to ventral wing) and control butterflies (brown band added to ventral wing) on the forest floor (wings closed), corroborating that flash coloration is an important protective mechanism during flight. Our field experiments provide the first evidence, to our knowledge, that flash coloration in bright blue Morpho butterflies is an effective defense mechanism against avian predators in a tropical rainforest. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 20/06756-3 - A importância do padrão de coloração de Morpho helenor (Nymphalidae: Morphinae) na redução da predação por aves: uma abordagem experimental
• Beneficiário: Aline Vieira e Silva
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Mestrado
• Processo FAPESP: 17/16645-1 - Ecologia molecular de formigas neotropicais
• Beneficiário: Paulo Sergio Moreira Carvalho de Oliveira
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Programa BIOTA - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 22/06529-2 - Ecologia de formigas neotropicais: interações tritróficas, microbiota associada, e genética de populações
• Beneficiário: Paulo Sergio Moreira Carvalho de Oliveira
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Programa BIOTA - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 21/03868-8 - Mecanismos evolutivos que determinam a diversidade e distribuição num hotspot tropical de biodiversidade
• Beneficiário: André Victor Lucci Freitas
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular