Global selection on insect antipredator coloration
Natural selection has repeatedly led to the evolution of two alternative antipredator color strategies-camouflage to avoid detection and aposematism to advertise unprofitability-but we lack understanding of how ecological context favors one strategy over the other. We conducted a globally replicated predation experiment at 21 sites on six continents to test how predator community, prey community, and visual environment influenced the predation risk of 15,018 artificial paper "moth" prey with cryptic or warning coloration. Results indicated that aposematic strategies fare better in environments with low predation intensity, whereas camouflage strategies are advantaged when other camouflaged prey species are rare and when light levels are low. This study demonstrates how multiple mechanisms shape antipredator strategies, helping to explain the evolution and global distribution of camouflaged and aposematic animals.
Authors
- Vinicius Marques Lopez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9445-6540)
- Jan Raška (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4768-2507)
- Yerin Hwang
- Karl Loeffler‐Henry (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3766-9352)
- Thomas N. Sherratt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6837-3848)
- Krushnamegh K. Kunte (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3860-6118)
- Brandon T. Hastings (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3195-9109)
- Alice Exnerová (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7937-1477)
- Sarika Baidya (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4345-8049)
- Changku Kang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3707-4989)
- Ossi Nokelainen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0278-6698)
- Jolyon T. Troscianko (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9071-2594)
- Rhainer Guillermo Nascimento Ferreira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7774-5252)
- María C. De Mársico (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5912-4903)
- Lu‐Yi Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6980-3782)
- Klára Daňková (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5360-0128)
- Sarah‐Sophie Weil (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2280-9612)
- Carolina Esquivel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8284-1545)
- María de las Nieves Sabio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4486-5121)
- Kristal E. Cain (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6908-7015)
- Ylenia Chiari (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2338-8602)
- Olivier Penacchio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1544-2405)
- Tomáš Albrecht
- Rodrigo Roucourt Cezário (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0486-5867)
- William L. Allen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2654-0438)
- FELIPE HENRIQUE DATTO-LIBERATO (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4622-1592)
- Steve A. Stephens-Cárdenas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6090-9158)
- Robert J Posont (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1972-9136)
- Fabian C. Salgado‐Roa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7266-4055)
- Iliana Medina (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1021-5035)
- Samuel Guchu
- Kate D. L. Umbers (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9375-4527)
- Juan Manuel Rojas Ripari (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2297-7624)
- Peter Njoroge (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1165-3579)
- Juan C. Reboreda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5136-4574)
- Renan Janke Bosque (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3729-9301)
- Emily Burdfield‐Steel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-5431)
- Jennifer L. Kelley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8223-7241)
- Johanna Mappes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1117-5629)
- Camilo Salazar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9217-6588)
- Amanda M. Franklin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8650-8344)
- Hannah M. Rowland (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1040-555X)
- Viraj Nawge (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5676-8367)
- Arka Pal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7192-864X)
- Archan Paul (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1767-9120)
- Y.-H. Kim
- Harold E. Brown (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5614-4463)
- Anita Szabó (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2706-1535)
- J. Torres (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7861-3286)
- Aloise Garvey
- Kateřina Hotová-Svádová
- John Kasaya
- Claire MacKay-Dietrich (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2436-8719)
- Marie Truhlářová
- Molly Venton
- Makenzie Vitasovich
Institutions
- Mokpo National University (KR)
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (IN)
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ES)
- Universidade de Ribeirão Preto (BR)
- University of Helsinki (FI)
- Seoul National University (KR)
- University of Nottingham (GB)
- University of Auckland (NZ)
- George Mason University (US)
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- University of St Andrews (GB)
- The University of Western Australia (AU)
- National Centre for Biological Sciences (IN)
- Universidad Nacional (CR)
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZ)
- Charles University (CZ)
- University of Exeter (GB)
- Southwestern Oklahoma State University (US)
- Universidad de Buenos Aires (AR)
- Universidad de Costa Rica (CR)
- Swansea University (GB)
- Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro (BR)
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology (DE)
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology (CZ)
- Latin University of Costa Rica (CR)
- National Museums of Kenya (KE)
- Fundación Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (AR)
- Western Sydney University (AU)
- Carleton University (CA)
- University of Amsterdam (NL)
- Universidad del Rosario (CO)
- University of Jyväskylä (FI)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science
- Published
- 2025-09-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adr7368
- Citations
- 9
- Primary Topic
- Plant and animal studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 27.24