Predation by migratory birds shapes seasonally fluctuating selection on a conspicuous signal
- 1Durham University
Abstract
Sexually selected traits often impose fitness costs on their bearers. Yet, the relative costs and benefits of conspicuous traits can vary through space and time, driving variation in selection acting on those traits. For insects, an important but overlooked source of such variation is seasonal shifts in the local abundance of migratory insectivorous birds. Smoky rubyspot damselflies (Hetaerina titia) exhibit a marked seasonal polyphenism in wing pigmentation throughout much of North America, with individuals emerging in the summer exhibiting conspicuous dark wings. Here, we test the hypothesis that this variation is an adaptive response to seasonal and geographical variation in predation risk. First, we find evidence for strong constraints acting on wing phenotypes outside of the summer season, consistent with a seasonal shift in the relative costs and benefits of pigmentation. Second, using a continentally distributed predation experiment, we find that predation risk covaries with spatiotemporal variation in wing pigmentation and is linked to shifts in the local abundance of migratory birds. Overall, our analyses establish an eco-evolutionary link between tropical and temperate regions, underscoring the importance of considering both the evolutionary and ecological consequences of spatiotemporal variation in biotic interactions as species assemblages shift in response to global change.
Related
- Phenotypic plasticity affects species packing in seasonally fluctuating environments
- Repeated Transitions in Migratory Behavior Across a Songbird Radiation Are Not Driven by Selection on Shared Variation in Candidate Genes
- Genome-wide fluctuating selection under demographic cycling in Icelandic rock ptarmigan
- Microbial community responses to ceramic amendment in coastal sediments of a seasonally hypoxic bay
- Functional Response and Predation Potential of Arma custos (Fabricius) Against Tuta absoluta (Meyrick)
BibTeX
@misc{patterson2026predation,
title = {{Predation by migratory birds shapes seasonally fluctuating selection on a conspicuous signal}},
author = {C. Patterson and G. Grether and F. Soley and J. P. Clavel and E. Bonillas Monge and L. Mendoza Cuenca and R. Palin and A. Perez Madrigal and E. Saban-Sequen and A. Tonkinson and J. P. Drury},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.64898/2026.08.24.746656},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.24.746656v2},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Predation by migratory birds shapes seasonally fluctuating selection on a conspicuous signal
AU - C. Patterson
AU - G. Grether
AU - F. Soley
AU - J. P. Clavel
AU - E. Bonillas Monge
AU - L. Mendoza Cuenca
AU - R. Palin
AU - A. Perez Madrigal
AU - E. Saban-Sequen
AU - A. Tonkinson
AU - J. P. Drury
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/24
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.08.24.746656
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.24.746656v2
AB - Sexually selected traits often impose fitness costs on their bearers. Yet, the relative costs and benefits of conspicuous traits can vary through space and time, driving variation in selection acting on those traits. For insects, an important but overlooked source of such variation is seasonal shifts in the local abundance of migratory insectivorous birds. Smoky rubyspot damselflies (Hetaerina titia) exhibit a marked seasonal polyphenism in wing pigmentation throughout much of North America, with individuals emerging in the summer exhibiting conspicuous dark wings. Here, we test the hypothesis that this variation is an adaptive response to seasonal and geographical variation in predation risk. First, we find evidence for strong constraints acting on wing phenotypes outside of the summer season, consistent with a seasonal shift in the relative costs and benefits of pigmentation. Second, using a continentally distributed predation experiment, we find that predation risk covaries with spatiotemporal variation in wing pigmentation and is linked to shifts in the local abundance of migratory birds. Overall, our analyses establish an eco-evolutionary link between tropical and temperate regions, underscoring the importance of considering both the evolutionary and ecological consequences of spatiotemporal variation in biotic interactions as species assemblages shift in response to global change.
ER -