MSGID: 1:317/3 627201ea   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Beetle iridescence a deceptive form of warning coloration    
      
     Date:   
         May 3, 2022   
     Source:   
         University of Bristol   
     Summary:   
         A new study published today in Animal Behaviour shows for the first   
         time that brilliant iridescence and gloss found in some animals   
         can have a protective function by working as a form of deceptive   
         warning coloration, and that it is the key feature of iridescence,   
         its changing colors, that is important for this effect.   
      
      
      
   FULL STORY   
   ==========================================================================   
   A new study published today in Animal Behaviour shows for the first time   
   that brilliant iridescence and gloss found in some animals can have a   
   protective function by working as a form of deceptive warning colouration,   
   and that it is the key feature of iridescence, its changing colours,   
   that is important for this effect.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   This striking form of structural coloration in which the hue and intensity   
   of colours will vary depending on the angle of view, has also evolved   
   independently in everything from birds such as magpies and starlings, to   
   many insects such as rose chafers, rosemary beetles and in the demoiselle.   
      
   By looking at its biological functions, a team of researchers at Bristol   
   University's CamoLab investigated why this vivid metallic coloration   
   has evolved so may times in the animal kingdom, and what makes this   
   striking form of animal coloration such a successful anti-predator   
   strategy. The team had previously discovered that iridescence can act as   
   a highly efficient form of camouflage, but whether such striking forms of   
   structural coloration could also protect prey post-detection, and if so,   
   what optical properties were important for this effect, remained unknown   
   until now.   
      
   Lead author Dr. Karin Kjernsmo of the University of Bristol's School   
   of Biological Sciences said: "One of the challenges when studying the   
   functions of such highly reflective structural colouration has been to   
   separate the effects of the changeability of colours, the hallmark of   
   iridescence, from the effects of simply having multiple colours at the   
   same time, and also to separate the effects of gloss from the effects   
   of iridescence."  They tested if and how iridescence could provide a   
   survival benefit to prey post-detection by presenting both iridescent   
   and non-iridescent, as well as glossy and matte versions of the two,   
   to birds that had no previous experience with such prey, and then looked   
   at the birds' willingness to attack the prey.   
      
   They found that iridescence significantly reduced the attack-willingness   
   of the birds, and that gloss also had an independent effect.   
      
   "Here we have, for the first time, effectively managed to test for each   
   of these two effects on their own, and shown that both iridescence and   
   gloss can protect prey even post-detection, providing yet another adaptive   
   explanation for the evolution and widespread existence of iridescence"   
   Dr. Kjernsmo added.   
      
   The study was funded by the Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research   
   Council (BBSRC).   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Bristol. Note: Content   
   may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Journal Reference:   
      1. Karin Kjernsmo, Anna M. Lim, Rox Middleton, Joanna R. Hall, Leah M.   
      
         Costello, Heather M. Whitney, Nicholas E. Scott-Samuel, Innes   
         C. Cuthill.   
      
         Beetle iridescence induces an avoidance response in nai"ve   
         avian predators. Animal Behaviour, 2022; 188: 45 DOI: 10.1016/   
         j.anbehav.2022.04.005   
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220503141337.htm   
      
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