Background matching, disruptive coloration, and differential use of microhabitats in two neotropical grasshoppers with sexual dichromatism

Ecology and Evolution

Raúl Cueva del Castillo¹  Víctor Hugo Ramírez‐Delgado² 

[1] Lab. de Ecología UBIPRO Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Tlalnepantla México;Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas Unidad de Posgrado, Coordinación del Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas UNAM Coyoacán México;

关键词: background matching;    crypsis;    digital photography;    disruptive coloration;    grasshoppers;    image analysis;   

DOI  :  10.1002/ece3.5995

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Cryptic coloration is an adaptative defensive mechanism against predators. Color patterns can become cryptic through background coloration‐matching and disruptive coloration. Disruptive coloration may evolve in visually heterogeneous microhabitats, whereas background matching could be favored in chromatically homogeneous microhabitats. In this work, we used digital photography to explore the potential use of disruptive coloration and background matching in males and females of two grasshopper species of the Sphenarium genus in different habitats. We found chromatic differences in the two grasshopper species that may be explained by local adaptation. We also found that the females and males of both species are dichromatic and seem to follow different color cryptic strategies, males are more disruptive than females, whereas females have a high background matching with less disruptive elements. The selective pressures of the predators in different microhabitats and the differences in mobility between sexes may explain the color pattern divergence between females and males. Nevertheless, more field experiments are needed in order to understand the relative importance of disruptive and background matching coloration in the evolution of sexual dichromatism in these grasshoppers.

【 授权许可】

Unknown