The anti-predator function of `eyespots' on camouflaged and conspicuous prey
Authors: Stevens, Martin1; Stubbins, Claire2; Hardman, Chloe2
Source: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Volume 62, Number 11, September 2008 , pp. 1787-1793(7)
Publisher: Springer
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Abstract:
Animals utilise various strategies to reduce the risk of predation, including camouflage, warning colours and mimicry, and many of these protective signals promote avoidance behaviour in predators. For example, various species possess paired circular `eyespots', which startle or intimidate predators, preventing or halting an attack. However, little is known of how the efficacy of such signals relates to the context in which they are found, and no studies have tested the relative effectiveness of anti-predator signals when on otherwise camouflaged and conspicuous prey. We find that the protective value of conspicuous wing spots, placed on artificial moth-like targets presented to wild birds in the field, is strongly affected by the attributes of the prey `animal' on which they are found. Wing spots reduced predation when on conspicuous prey but were rendered ineffective when on otherwise camouflaged targets, indeed they increased the risk of predation compared to non-marked camouflaged controls. These results demonstrate how different anti-predator strategies may interact, and that protective signals can switch from being beneficial to costly under different contexts.Keywords: Eyespots; Camouflage; Conspicuousness; Predation; Protective coloration
Document Type: Research article
DOI: 10.1007/s00265-008-0607-3
Affiliations: 1: Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK, Email: ms726@cam.ac.uk 2: Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
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