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Joseph S Wilson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Comparison of African and North American velvet ant Mimicry complexes: Another example of Africa as the 'odd man out'.
PloS one, 2018Co-Authors: Joseph S Wilson, Aaron D. Pan, Erica S. Limb, Kevin A WilliamsAbstract:Africa has the most tropical and subtropical land of any continent, yet has relatively low species richness in several taxa. This depauperate nature of the African tropical fauna and flora has led some to call Africa the "odd man out." One exception to this pattern is velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), wingless wasps that are known for Mullerian Mimicry. While North American velvet ants form one of the world's largest Mimicry complexes, Mimicry in African species has not been investigated. Here we ask do African velvet ant Mullerian Mimicry rings exist, and how do they compare to the North American complex. We then explore what factors might contribute to the differences in mimetic diversity between continents. To investigate this we compared the color patterns of 304 African velvet ant taxa using nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). We then investigated distributions of each distinct Mimicry ring. Finally, we compared lizard diversity and ecoregion diversity on the two continents. We found that African female velvet ants form four Mullerian rings, which is half the number of North American rings. This lower mimetic diversity could be related to the relatively lower diversity of insectivorous lizard species or to the lower number of distinct ecoregions in Africa compared to North America.
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north american velvet ants form one of the world s largest known Mullerian Mimicry complexes
Current Biology, 2015Co-Authors: Joseph S Wilson, Joshua P Jahner, Matthew L Forister, Erica S Sheehan, Kevin A Williams, James P PittsAbstract:Color Mimicry is often celebrated as one of the most straightforward examples of evolution by natural selection, as striking morphological similarity between species evolves in response to a shared predation pressure. Recently, a large North American mimetic complex was described that included 65 species of Dasymutilla velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae). Beyond those 65 species, little is known about how many species participate in this unique Mullerian complex, though several other arthropods are thought to be involved as Mullerian mimics (spider wasps) and Batesian mimics (beetles, antlions, and spiders; see references in). Mullerian Mimicry is similarity in appearance or phenotype among harmful species, while Batesian Mimicry is similarity in which not all species are harmful. Here, we investigate the extent of the velvet ant Mimicry complex beyond Dasymutilla by examining distributional and color pattern similarities in all of the 21 North American diurnal velvet ant genera, including 302 of the 361 named species (nearly 84%), as well as 16 polymorphic color forms and an additional 33 undescribed species. Of the 351 species and color forms that were analyzed (including undescribed species), 336 exhibit some morphological similarities and we hypothesize that they form eight distinct Mimicry rings (Figure 1A; Supplemental Information). Two of these eight Mimicry rings, red-headed Timulla and black-headed Timulla, were not documented in earlier assessments of Mimicry in velvet ants, and are newly described here. These findings identify one of the largest known Mullerian Mimicry systems worldwide and provide a novel system to test hypotheses about aposematism and Mimicry, especially those regarding the evolution of imperfect Mimicry.
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North American velvet ants form one of the world’s largest known Müllerian Mimicry complexes
Current biology : CB, 2015Co-Authors: Joseph S Wilson, Joshua P Jahner, Matthew L Forister, Erica S Sheehan, Kevin A Williams, James P PittsAbstract:Color Mimicry is often celebrated as one of the most straightforward examples of evolution by natural selection, as striking morphological similarity between species evolves in response to a shared predation pressure. Recently, a large North American mimetic complex was described that included 65 species of Dasymutilla velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae). Beyond those 65 species, little is known about how many species participate in this unique Mullerian complex, though several other arthropods are thought to be involved as Mullerian mimics (spider wasps) and Batesian mimics (beetles, antlions, and spiders; see references in). Mullerian Mimicry is similarity in appearance or phenotype among harmful species, while Batesian Mimicry is similarity in which not all species are harmful. Here, we investigate the extent of the velvet ant Mimicry complex beyond Dasymutilla by examining distributional and color pattern similarities in all of the 21 North American diurnal velvet ant genera, including 302 of the 361 named species (nearly 84%), as well as 16 polymorphic color forms and an additional 33 undescribed species. Of the 351 species and color forms that were analyzed (including undescribed species), 336 exhibit some morphological similarities and we hypothesize that they form eight distinct Mimicry rings (Figure 1A; Supplemental Information). Two of these eight Mimicry rings, red-headed Timulla and black-headed Timulla, were not documented in earlier assessments of Mimicry in velvet ants, and are newly described here. These findings identify one of the largest known Mullerian Mimicry systems worldwide and provide a novel system to test hypotheses about aposematism and Mimicry, especially those regarding the evolution of imperfect Mimicry.
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Müllerian Mimicry as a Result of Codivergence between Velvet Ants and Spider Wasps
PloS one, 2014Co-Authors: Juanita Rodriguez, Carol D. Von Dohlen, James P Pitts, Joseph S WilsonAbstract:Recent studies have delineated a large Nearctic Mullerian Mimicry complex in Dasymutilla velvet ants. Psorthaspis spider wasps live in areas where this Mimicry complex is found and are phenotypically similar to Dasymutilla. We tested the idea that Psorthaspis spider wasps are participating in the Dasymutilla Mimicry complex and that they codiverged with Dasymutilla. We performed morphometric analyses and human perception tests, and tabulated distributional records to determine the fit of Psorthaspis to the Dasymutilla Mimicry complex. We inferred a dated phylogeny using nuclear molecular markers (28S, elongation factor 1-alpha, long-wavelength rhodopsin and wingless) for Psorthaspis species and compared it to a dated phylogeny of Dasymutilla. We tested for codivergence between the two groups using two statistical analyses. Our results show that Psorthaspis spider wasps are morphologically similar to the Dasymutilla Mimicry rings. In addition, our tests indicate that Psorthaspis and Dasymutilla codiverged to produce similar color patterns. This study expands the breadth of the Dasymutilla Mullerian Mimicry complex and provides insights about how codivergence influenced the evolution of Mimicry in these groups.
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Repeated evolution in overlapping Mimicry rings among North American velvet ants
Nature communications, 2012Co-Authors: Joseph S Wilson, Matthew L Forister, Kevin A Williams, Carol D. Von Dohlen, James P PittsAbstract:Mullerian Mimicry, in which two or more harmful species share a similar appearance for mutual benefit, is a widely appreciated, yet relatively uncommon natural phenomenon. Although Mullerian Mimicry occurs in vertebrates, most studies are focused on tropical, herbivorous invertebrates. Here we identify a large Mullerian Mimicry complex in North American velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae). These are conspicuous, diurnal parasitoids of bees and wasps that defend themselves with a powerful sting. We investigate morphological and genetic variation and ask whether morphological similarities are the result of convergent evolution or shared ancestry. We find that 65 species in the velvet ant genus Dasymutilla can be placed into one of six morphologically distinct and geographically delimited Mimicry rings. Mullerian colour patterns are primarily the result of independent evolution rather than shared, phylogenetic history. These convergent colour syndromes represent one of the largest known Mullerian Mimicry complexes yet identified, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere. In Mullerian Mimicry two or more harmful species share a similar appearance for mutual benefit. This study identifies a large Mullerian Mimicry complex in North American velvet ants, where 65 species mimic each other through shared colour patterns gained as the result of independent evolution.
Gary M. Langham - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Rufous-tailed jacamars and aposematic butterflies: do older birds attack novel prey
2015Co-Authors: Gary M. LanghamAbstract:Although avian predators are thought to drive the evolution of warning-color Mimicry in butterflies, few empirical studies directly address this assumption from the predator’s perspective. Heliconius butterflies are textbook examples of Mullerian Mimicry, with perhaps themost remarkable example being theHeliconius erato andHeliconius melpomeneMimicry complex. Rufous-tailed jacamars, Galbula ruficauda (Galbulidae), are well-known butterfly predators and provide an excellent study organism to investigate patterns of attack behavior in warning-colored butterflies. I investigated patterns of attack behavior by presenting three aposematic butter-flies to wild-caught jacamars in a cage trial in Venezuela. I presented 80 jacamars with threeHeliconius butterflies: an unaltered wing pattern (localmorph) and two alteredwing patterns (novelmorphs). Twenty-one of 40males and 8of 40 females attacked abutterfly with a novel wing pattern. Of themorphological variablesmeasured, tail length was the only significant predictor of attack behavior. Individuals with relatively longer tails attacked novel butterflies more frequently than shorter tailed individuals. Because tail length tended to increase between seasons, results suggest that older birds are more likely to attack novel aposematic prey than are young birds, contrary to the expectations that younger adult birds (i.e., more likely to be naive) would attack novel Heliconius more frequently than older birds. Overall results support the role of specialized avian predators, like jacamars, as important agents in the evolution of warning-color Mimicry in butterflies and the need to investigate different age classes of birds in Mimicry studies. Key words: aposematism, Galbula ruficauda, Heliconius, jacamar, Mullerian Mimicry. [Behav Ecol 17:285–290 (2006)] Although it is thought that birds drive the evolution ofwarning-color Mimicry (Mullerian) in butterflies via thei
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Rufous-tailed jacamars and aposematic butterflies: do older birds attack novel prey?
Behavioral Ecology, 2005Co-Authors: Gary M. LanghamAbstract:Although avian predators are thought to drive the evolution of warning-color Mimicry in butterflies, few empirical studies directly address this assumption from the predator’s perspective. Heliconius butterflies are textbook examples of Mullerian Mimicry, with perhaps the most remarkable example being the Heliconius erato and Heliconius melpomene Mimicry complex. Rufous-tailed jacamars, Galbula ruficauda (Galbulidae), are well-known butterfly predators and provide an excellent study organism to investigate patterns of attack behavior in warning-colored butterflies. I investigated patterns of attack behavior by presenting three aposematic butterflies to wild-caught jacamars in a cage trial in Venezuela. I presented 80 jacamars with three Heliconius butterflies: an unaltered wing pattern (local morph) and two altered wing patterns (novel morphs). Twenty-one of 40 males and 8 of 40 females attacked a butterfly with a novel wing pattern. Of the morphological variables measured, tail length was the only significant predictor of attack behavior. Individuals with relatively longer tails attacked novel butterflies more frequently than shorter tailed individuals. Because tail length tended to increase between seasons, results suggest that older birds are more likely to attack novel aposematic prey than are young birds, contrary to the expectations that younger adult birds (i.e., more likely to be naive) would attack novel Heliconius more frequently than older birds. Overall results support the role of specialized avian predators, like jacamars, as important agents in the evolution of warning-color Mimicry in butterflies and the need to investigate different age classes of birds in Mimicry studies. Key words: aposematism, Galbula ruficauda, Heliconius, jacamar, Mullerian Mimicry. [Behav Ecol]
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Specialized avian predators repeatedly attack novel color morphs of Heliconius butterflies.
Evolution; international journal of organic evolution, 2004Co-Authors: Gary M. LanghamAbstract:The persistence of Mullerian Mimicry and geographically distinct wing patterns, as observed in many Heliconius species (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), is difficult to explain from a predator's perspective: predator selection against locally rare patterns must persist despite avoidance learning. Maintaining spatial color-pattern polymorphism requires local pattern avoidance, fine-scale discrimination among similar wing patterns, and repeated attacks on novel color patterns. I tested for these behaviors by presenting 80 adult rufous-tailed jacamars (Galbula ruficauda) with three morphs of Heliconius butterflies, and then presenting the same suite of butterflies to 46 of these jacamars between four and 429 days later. These trials offer the first direct evidence of the selective predator behavior required to maintain aposematic polymorphism: jacamars avoid local aposematic morphs while repeatedly attacking similar but novel morphs over time.
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Rufous-tailed jacamars and aposematic butterflies: do older birds attack novel prey?
1Co-Authors: Gary M. LanghamAbstract:Although avian predators are thought to drive the evolution of warning-color Mimicry in butterflies, few empirical studies directly address this assumption from the predator's perspective. Heliconius butterflies are textbook examples of Mullerian Mimicry, with perhaps the most remarkable example being the Heliconius erato and Heliconius melpomene Mimicry complex. Rufous-tailed jacamars, Galbula ruficauda (Galbulidae), are well-known butterfly predators and provide an excellent study organism to investigate patterns of attack behavior in warning-colored butterflies. I investigated patterns of attack behavior by presenting three aposematic butterflies to wild-caught jacamars in a cage trial in Venezuela. I presented 80 jacamars with three Heliconius butterflies: an unaltered wing pattern (local morph) and two altered wing patterns (novel morphs). Twenty-one of 40 males and 8 of 40 females attacked a butterfly with a novel wing pattern. Of the morphological variables measured, tail length was the only significant predictor of attack behavior. Individuals with relatively longer tails attacked novel butterflies more frequently than shorter tailed individuals. Because tail length tended to increase between seasons, results suggest that older birds are more likely to attack novel aposematic prey than are young birds, contrary to the expectations that younger adult birds (i.e., more likely to be naive) would attack novel Heliconius more frequently than older birds. Overall results support the role of specialized avian predators, like jacamars, as important agents in the evolution of warning-color Mimicry in butterflies and the need to investigate different age classes of birds in Mimicry studies. Copyright 2006.aposematism; Galbula ruficauda; Heliconius; jacamar; Mullerian Mimicry
James P Pitts - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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north american velvet ants form one of the world s largest known Mullerian Mimicry complexes
Current Biology, 2015Co-Authors: Joseph S Wilson, Joshua P Jahner, Matthew L Forister, Erica S Sheehan, Kevin A Williams, James P PittsAbstract:Color Mimicry is often celebrated as one of the most straightforward examples of evolution by natural selection, as striking morphological similarity between species evolves in response to a shared predation pressure. Recently, a large North American mimetic complex was described that included 65 species of Dasymutilla velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae). Beyond those 65 species, little is known about how many species participate in this unique Mullerian complex, though several other arthropods are thought to be involved as Mullerian mimics (spider wasps) and Batesian mimics (beetles, antlions, and spiders; see references in). Mullerian Mimicry is similarity in appearance or phenotype among harmful species, while Batesian Mimicry is similarity in which not all species are harmful. Here, we investigate the extent of the velvet ant Mimicry complex beyond Dasymutilla by examining distributional and color pattern similarities in all of the 21 North American diurnal velvet ant genera, including 302 of the 361 named species (nearly 84%), as well as 16 polymorphic color forms and an additional 33 undescribed species. Of the 351 species and color forms that were analyzed (including undescribed species), 336 exhibit some morphological similarities and we hypothesize that they form eight distinct Mimicry rings (Figure 1A; Supplemental Information). Two of these eight Mimicry rings, red-headed Timulla and black-headed Timulla, were not documented in earlier assessments of Mimicry in velvet ants, and are newly described here. These findings identify one of the largest known Mullerian Mimicry systems worldwide and provide a novel system to test hypotheses about aposematism and Mimicry, especially those regarding the evolution of imperfect Mimicry.
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North American velvet ants form one of the world’s largest known Müllerian Mimicry complexes
Current biology : CB, 2015Co-Authors: Joseph S Wilson, Joshua P Jahner, Matthew L Forister, Erica S Sheehan, Kevin A Williams, James P PittsAbstract:Color Mimicry is often celebrated as one of the most straightforward examples of evolution by natural selection, as striking morphological similarity between species evolves in response to a shared predation pressure. Recently, a large North American mimetic complex was described that included 65 species of Dasymutilla velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae). Beyond those 65 species, little is known about how many species participate in this unique Mullerian complex, though several other arthropods are thought to be involved as Mullerian mimics (spider wasps) and Batesian mimics (beetles, antlions, and spiders; see references in). Mullerian Mimicry is similarity in appearance or phenotype among harmful species, while Batesian Mimicry is similarity in which not all species are harmful. Here, we investigate the extent of the velvet ant Mimicry complex beyond Dasymutilla by examining distributional and color pattern similarities in all of the 21 North American diurnal velvet ant genera, including 302 of the 361 named species (nearly 84%), as well as 16 polymorphic color forms and an additional 33 undescribed species. Of the 351 species and color forms that were analyzed (including undescribed species), 336 exhibit some morphological similarities and we hypothesize that they form eight distinct Mimicry rings (Figure 1A; Supplemental Information). Two of these eight Mimicry rings, red-headed Timulla and black-headed Timulla, were not documented in earlier assessments of Mimicry in velvet ants, and are newly described here. These findings identify one of the largest known Mullerian Mimicry systems worldwide and provide a novel system to test hypotheses about aposematism and Mimicry, especially those regarding the evolution of imperfect Mimicry.
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Müllerian Mimicry as a Result of Codivergence between Velvet Ants and Spider Wasps
PloS one, 2014Co-Authors: Juanita Rodriguez, Carol D. Von Dohlen, James P Pitts, Joseph S WilsonAbstract:Recent studies have delineated a large Nearctic Mullerian Mimicry complex in Dasymutilla velvet ants. Psorthaspis spider wasps live in areas where this Mimicry complex is found and are phenotypically similar to Dasymutilla. We tested the idea that Psorthaspis spider wasps are participating in the Dasymutilla Mimicry complex and that they codiverged with Dasymutilla. We performed morphometric analyses and human perception tests, and tabulated distributional records to determine the fit of Psorthaspis to the Dasymutilla Mimicry complex. We inferred a dated phylogeny using nuclear molecular markers (28S, elongation factor 1-alpha, long-wavelength rhodopsin and wingless) for Psorthaspis species and compared it to a dated phylogeny of Dasymutilla. We tested for codivergence between the two groups using two statistical analyses. Our results show that Psorthaspis spider wasps are morphologically similar to the Dasymutilla Mimicry rings. In addition, our tests indicate that Psorthaspis and Dasymutilla codiverged to produce similar color patterns. This study expands the breadth of the Dasymutilla Mullerian Mimicry complex and provides insights about how codivergence influenced the evolution of Mimicry in these groups.
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Repeated evolution in overlapping Mimicry rings among North American velvet ants
Nature communications, 2012Co-Authors: Joseph S Wilson, Matthew L Forister, Kevin A Williams, Carol D. Von Dohlen, James P PittsAbstract:Mullerian Mimicry, in which two or more harmful species share a similar appearance for mutual benefit, is a widely appreciated, yet relatively uncommon natural phenomenon. Although Mullerian Mimicry occurs in vertebrates, most studies are focused on tropical, herbivorous invertebrates. Here we identify a large Mullerian Mimicry complex in North American velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae). These are conspicuous, diurnal parasitoids of bees and wasps that defend themselves with a powerful sting. We investigate morphological and genetic variation and ask whether morphological similarities are the result of convergent evolution or shared ancestry. We find that 65 species in the velvet ant genus Dasymutilla can be placed into one of six morphologically distinct and geographically delimited Mimicry rings. Mullerian colour patterns are primarily the result of independent evolution rather than shared, phylogenetic history. These convergent colour syndromes represent one of the largest known Mullerian Mimicry complexes yet identified, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere. In Mullerian Mimicry two or more harmful species share a similar appearance for mutual benefit. This study identifies a large Mullerian Mimicry complex in North American velvet ants, where 65 species mimic each other through shared colour patterns gained as the result of independent evolution.
Kevin A Williams - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Comparison of African and North American velvet ant Mimicry complexes: Another example of Africa as the 'odd man out'.
PloS one, 2018Co-Authors: Joseph S Wilson, Aaron D. Pan, Erica S. Limb, Kevin A WilliamsAbstract:Africa has the most tropical and subtropical land of any continent, yet has relatively low species richness in several taxa. This depauperate nature of the African tropical fauna and flora has led some to call Africa the "odd man out." One exception to this pattern is velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), wingless wasps that are known for Mullerian Mimicry. While North American velvet ants form one of the world's largest Mimicry complexes, Mimicry in African species has not been investigated. Here we ask do African velvet ant Mullerian Mimicry rings exist, and how do they compare to the North American complex. We then explore what factors might contribute to the differences in mimetic diversity between continents. To investigate this we compared the color patterns of 304 African velvet ant taxa using nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). We then investigated distributions of each distinct Mimicry ring. Finally, we compared lizard diversity and ecoregion diversity on the two continents. We found that African female velvet ants form four Mullerian rings, which is half the number of North American rings. This lower mimetic diversity could be related to the relatively lower diversity of insectivorous lizard species or to the lower number of distinct ecoregions in Africa compared to North America.
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north american velvet ants form one of the world s largest known Mullerian Mimicry complexes
Current Biology, 2015Co-Authors: Joseph S Wilson, Joshua P Jahner, Matthew L Forister, Erica S Sheehan, Kevin A Williams, James P PittsAbstract:Color Mimicry is often celebrated as one of the most straightforward examples of evolution by natural selection, as striking morphological similarity between species evolves in response to a shared predation pressure. Recently, a large North American mimetic complex was described that included 65 species of Dasymutilla velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae). Beyond those 65 species, little is known about how many species participate in this unique Mullerian complex, though several other arthropods are thought to be involved as Mullerian mimics (spider wasps) and Batesian mimics (beetles, antlions, and spiders; see references in). Mullerian Mimicry is similarity in appearance or phenotype among harmful species, while Batesian Mimicry is similarity in which not all species are harmful. Here, we investigate the extent of the velvet ant Mimicry complex beyond Dasymutilla by examining distributional and color pattern similarities in all of the 21 North American diurnal velvet ant genera, including 302 of the 361 named species (nearly 84%), as well as 16 polymorphic color forms and an additional 33 undescribed species. Of the 351 species and color forms that were analyzed (including undescribed species), 336 exhibit some morphological similarities and we hypothesize that they form eight distinct Mimicry rings (Figure 1A; Supplemental Information). Two of these eight Mimicry rings, red-headed Timulla and black-headed Timulla, were not documented in earlier assessments of Mimicry in velvet ants, and are newly described here. These findings identify one of the largest known Mullerian Mimicry systems worldwide and provide a novel system to test hypotheses about aposematism and Mimicry, especially those regarding the evolution of imperfect Mimicry.
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North American velvet ants form one of the world’s largest known Müllerian Mimicry complexes
Current biology : CB, 2015Co-Authors: Joseph S Wilson, Joshua P Jahner, Matthew L Forister, Erica S Sheehan, Kevin A Williams, James P PittsAbstract:Color Mimicry is often celebrated as one of the most straightforward examples of evolution by natural selection, as striking morphological similarity between species evolves in response to a shared predation pressure. Recently, a large North American mimetic complex was described that included 65 species of Dasymutilla velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae). Beyond those 65 species, little is known about how many species participate in this unique Mullerian complex, though several other arthropods are thought to be involved as Mullerian mimics (spider wasps) and Batesian mimics (beetles, antlions, and spiders; see references in). Mullerian Mimicry is similarity in appearance or phenotype among harmful species, while Batesian Mimicry is similarity in which not all species are harmful. Here, we investigate the extent of the velvet ant Mimicry complex beyond Dasymutilla by examining distributional and color pattern similarities in all of the 21 North American diurnal velvet ant genera, including 302 of the 361 named species (nearly 84%), as well as 16 polymorphic color forms and an additional 33 undescribed species. Of the 351 species and color forms that were analyzed (including undescribed species), 336 exhibit some morphological similarities and we hypothesize that they form eight distinct Mimicry rings (Figure 1A; Supplemental Information). Two of these eight Mimicry rings, red-headed Timulla and black-headed Timulla, were not documented in earlier assessments of Mimicry in velvet ants, and are newly described here. These findings identify one of the largest known Mullerian Mimicry systems worldwide and provide a novel system to test hypotheses about aposematism and Mimicry, especially those regarding the evolution of imperfect Mimicry.
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Repeated evolution in overlapping Mimicry rings among North American velvet ants
Nature communications, 2012Co-Authors: Joseph S Wilson, Matthew L Forister, Kevin A Williams, Carol D. Von Dohlen, James P PittsAbstract:Mullerian Mimicry, in which two or more harmful species share a similar appearance for mutual benefit, is a widely appreciated, yet relatively uncommon natural phenomenon. Although Mullerian Mimicry occurs in vertebrates, most studies are focused on tropical, herbivorous invertebrates. Here we identify a large Mullerian Mimicry complex in North American velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae). These are conspicuous, diurnal parasitoids of bees and wasps that defend themselves with a powerful sting. We investigate morphological and genetic variation and ask whether morphological similarities are the result of convergent evolution or shared ancestry. We find that 65 species in the velvet ant genus Dasymutilla can be placed into one of six morphologically distinct and geographically delimited Mimicry rings. Mullerian colour patterns are primarily the result of independent evolution rather than shared, phylogenetic history. These convergent colour syndromes represent one of the largest known Mullerian Mimicry complexes yet identified, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere. In Mullerian Mimicry two or more harmful species share a similar appearance for mutual benefit. This study identifies a large Mullerian Mimicry complex in North American velvet ants, where 65 species mimic each other through shared colour patterns gained as the result of independent evolution.
Johanna Mappes - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Hard to catch: experimental evidence supports evasive Mimicry
Proceedings. Biological sciences, 2021Co-Authors: Erika Páez, Marianne Elias, Janne K. Valkonen, Keith R. Willmott, Pável Matos-maraví, Johanna MappesAbstract:Most research on aposematism has focused on chemically defended prey, but the signalling difficulty of capture remains poorly explored. Similar to classical Batesian and Mullerian Mimicry related t...
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Biased predation could promote convergence yet maintain diversity within Müllerian Mimicry rings of Oreina leaf beetles
Journal of evolutionary biology, 2020Co-Authors: David W. Kikuchi, Janne K. Valkonen, Samuel J. Waldron, Susanne Dobler, Johanna MappesAbstract:Mullerian Mimicry is a classic example of adaptation, yet Muller's original theory does not account for the diversity often observed in Mimicry rings. Here, we aimed to assess how well classical Mullerian Mimicry can account for the colour polymorphism found in chemically defended Oreina leaf beetles by using field data and laboratory assays of predator behaviour. We also evaluated the hypothesis that thermoregulation can explain diversity between Oreina Mimicry rings. We found that frequencies of each colour morph were positively correlated among species, a critical prediction of Mullerian Mimicry. Predators learned to associate colour with chemical defences. Learned avoidance of the green morph of one species protected green morphs of another species. Avoidance of blue morphs was completely generalized to green morphs, but surprisingly, avoidance of green morphs was less generalized to blue morphs. This asymmetrical generalization should favour green morphs: indeed, green morphs persist in blue communities, whereas blue morphs are entirely excluded from green communities. We did not find a correlation between elevation and coloration, rejecting thermoregulation as an explanation for diversity between Mimicry rings. Biased predation could explain within-community diversity in warning coloration, providing a solution to a long-standing puzzle. We propose testable hypotheses for why asymmetric generalization occurs, and how predators maintain the predominance of blue morphs in a community, despite asymmetric generalization.
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Prey community structure affects how predators select for Müllerian Mimicry
Proceedings. Biological sciences, 2012Co-Authors: Eira Ihalainen, Graeme D. Ruxton, Michael P. Speed, Hannah M. Rowland, Johanna MappesAbstract:Mullerian Mimicry describes the close resemblance between aposematic prey species; it is thought to be beneficial because sharing a warning signal decreases the mortality caused by sampling by inex...
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A tale of 2 signals: signal Mimicry between aposematic species enhances predator avoidance learning
Behavioral Ecology, 2010Co-Authors: Hannah M. Rowland, Graeme D. Ruxton, Michael P. Speed, Tom Hoogesteger, Johanna MappesAbstract:Mullerian Mimicry, where 2 or more unrelated aposematic species resemble one another, is predicted to reduce the per capita mortality of co-mimics by allowing them to share the cost of educating nao ¨ve predators about their unpalatability. However, the specific assumptions and predictions of Muller's theory of shared resemblance have been previously unsupported; some authors have suggested that the benefits of signal similarity are undetectable or at best very small. We demonstrate clearly and un- ambiguously that Mimicry between 2 defended forms can provide substantial protection from uneducated predators in the manner proposed originally by Muller. By utilizing prey signals that were designed and demonstrated, to be equally visible, learned with equal facility, and discriminated by our predators, we assessed the effect of the presence of signal Mimicry on the survival of a Model species in a ''novel world'' experiment, with wild-caught great tits (Parus major) as predators. We found that the net effect of Mimicry was mutualistic, with co-mimics showing increased survivorship through shared predator learning. Visually distinct prey showed a mortality benefit from coexistence even without signal Mimicry as a result of a density-dependent dilution effect. Perfect Mimicry provided an added benefit of enhanced predator avoidance learning, and our results suggest that the benefits of shared warning signals may be even stronger than Muller originally proposed. Key words: aposematism, avoidance learning, evolution, Mullerian Mimicry, Parus major. (Behav Ecol)
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Can experienced birds select for Müllerian Mimicry
Behavioral Ecology, 2008Co-Authors: Eira Ihalainen, Leena Lindström, Johanna Mappes, Sari PuolakkainenAbstract:Field experiments have shown that avian predators in the wild can select for similarity of warning signals in aposematic prey (Mullerian Mimicry) because a common signal is better protected than a signal that is novel and rare. The original theory of Mullerian Mimicry assumes that the mechanism promoting Mimicry is predator learning; by sharing a signal, the comimic species share the mortality that is due to sampling by inexperienced predators. Predation events have not been observed in the wild, and learning experiments with naive bird predators in a laboratory have not unambiguously shown a benefit of a uniform signal compared with different signals. As predators in the field experiments are likely to be more experienced compared with previous laboratory experiments, we studied selection by experienced predators on a novel imperfect mimic. We trained great tits Parus major to avoid artificial aposematic models and subsequently introduced perfect and imperfect mimics at different frequencies. Birds with prior experience on the models selected against the imperfect mimics that were at a disadvantage also in a memory test conducted a week after their introduction. Selection against the imperfect mimics was antiapostatic. However, the imperfect mimics also benefited from some signal generalization to the models and possibly gained protection because the birds were familiar with the alternative cryptic prey that was also present. Our results suggest that experienced predators might be more important to the evolution of Mimicry than the learning-based theory assumes.
