ArticleProceedings. Biological sciences2023
Macroevolution of protective coloration across caterpillars reflects relationships with host plants.
Article in Proceedings. Biological sciences, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- Phenotypic convergence in Chagas disease vectors: Rhodnius neglectus from Copernicia prunifera palms may express the typical Rhodnius nasutus color phenotype.Parasites & vectors · 2026Article
- The sensory ecology of caterpillars.Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology · 2026Review
- Regurgitation of locusts dedicates chemical defense against predators.Science China. Life sciences · 2026Article
- Life Woven in Mist: Immature stages and morphology of Andean Pronophilina butterflies from the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia (Satyrinae: Satyrini).Zoological studies · 2026Article
- Diel activity correlates with colour pattern morphology of heterobranch sea slugs.The Journal of animal ecology · 2025Article
- Eyespot peek-a-boo: Leaf rolls enhance the antipredator effect of insect eyespots.The Journal of animal ecology · 2025Article
- Larval and Larval-Pupal Parasitoids Associated with Major Owlet Moth Pests of Soybean and Maize in the Brazilian Savanna: Measures to Preserve Them in Crop Succession.Neotropical entomology · 2025Article
- Tracing the evolution of key traits in dorid nudibranchs.PloS one · 2025Article
- Ecological drivers of ultraviolet colour evolution in snakes.Nature communications · 2024Article
- Pattern variation is linked to anti-predator coloration in butterfly larvae.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2023Article
- Macroevolution of protective coloration across caterpillars reflects relationships with host plants.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2023Article
- Biologically inspired warning patterns deter a passerine,Behavioral ecology : official journal of the International Society for Behavioral EcologyArticle
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
A critical function of animal coloration is avoiding attack, either by warning predators or reducing detectability. Evolution of these divergent strategies may depend on prey palatability and apparency to predators: conspicuous coloration may be favoured if species are distasteful, or habitats make hiding difficult; by contrast, camouflage may be effective if prey lack defences or environments are visually complex. For insect herbivores, host plants provide both chemical defence and the background against which they are detected or obscured; thus, plant traits may be key to coloration in these foundational terrestrial organisms. We use 1808 species of larval Lepidoptera to explore macroevolution of protective coloration strategy. We find that colour and pattern evolve jointly in caterpillars, similar to an array of species across the animal kingdom, while individual elements of coloration evolve closely with diet ecology. Consistent with key tenets of plant defence and plant-herbivore coevolutionary theory, conspicuous colours are associated with herbaceous host plants-thought to be defended by toxins-while camouflage colours and patterns are associated with woody plants and grasses. Contrary to theory, dietary specialization is not associated with conspicuous coloration. Our results add valuable insights into the evolutionary forces shaping colour and pattern in nature.
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