Predator-based selection and the impact of edge sympatry on components of coral snake mimicry
2022
Wilson, Lauren | Lonsdale, George | Curlis, John David | Hunter, Elizabeth A. | Cox, Christian L.
Mimicry is a vivid example of how predator-driven selection can impact phenotypic diversity, which itself can be influenced by the presence (sympatry) or absence (allopatry) of a dangerous model. However, the impact of sympatry and allopatry on predation on mimicry systems at fine spatial scales (e.g., edge sympatry, allopatry) is not well understood. We studied mimicry in a montane tropical site in Honduras with an abrupt elevational gradient where coral snakes and mimics exist in close sympatry and allopatry. Specifically, we used clay replicas to test the impact of edge sympatry on (1) overall attack rates, (2) the fitness benefit of mimetic coloration, and (3) predation on specific mimetic signal components. Unlike previous research, we found that mimetic phenotypes received significantly more attacks than cryptic replicas in edge sympatry, suggesting that mimetic phenotypes might not confer a fitness benefit in areas of edge sympatry. Additionally, we documented temporal variation in predator-based selection, as the impacts of allopatry on predatory attacks varied among years. Our results imply that the effect of sympatry and allopatry on predator-based selection in mimicry systems may be more complex than previously thought for species-rich assemblies of coral snakes and their mimics in the montane tropics.
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