Quantifying the success of prey crypsis, aposematism, and evasiveness in avoiding predator attack
Abstract
Antipredator defenses typically act at distinct stages of the predation sequenceencounter, identification, approach, and subjugation. However, their effectiveness has rarely been quantified and compared simultaneously in wild predator-prey systems. We conducted a study in Peru, where we installed aviaries at two localities and recorded the responses of wild avian predators to three types of antipredator defenses-crypsis, aposematism, and evasiveness-expressed by three butterfly prey types. The study included both immature and adult birds from forest and urban environments, representing the present community of insectivorous birds. We tested the theoretical expectations that cryptic butterflies (Nymphalidae: Euptychiina) were rarely detected, aposematic Heliconius (Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae) were often sighted but seldom attacked, and evasive Spicauda (Hesperiidae: Eudaminae) were frequently detected and attacked but evaded capture at higher rates. Despite these distinct defensive strategies, mortality rates among prey types were largely similar, but predator life stage strongly influenced defense effectiveness, with immature birds tending to attack Heliconius more frequently. Additionally, predator family influenced predation patterns, with more skilled insectivores (e.g., Vireonidae) showing higher capture success against defended prey. These findings illuminate the evolutionary pressures that shape predator behavior and prey.
Related
- Avoiding spiders: Affective context shapes tactile sensitivity during movement
- Cascading fishery collapse associated with thermal habitat degradation, marine heatwaves, and predator influx
- Potential of Tecoma stans as an Insectary Plant for the Mirid Predator Tytthus chinensis (Hemiptera: Miridae): Effects on Longevity and Reproductive Development
- Hide and seek in a rainforest canopy : when a fruit-eating carnivore (almost) met its top predator carnivore
- Predator self limitation controls pattern formation in a predator prey system with additional food: a Turing Hopf analysis
BibTeX
@article{linke2026quantifying,
title = {{Quantifying the success of prey crypsis, aposematism, and evasiveness in avoiding predator attack}},
author = {Daniel Linke and Jacqueline Hernandez Mejia and Valery N P Eche Navarro and Prapti Gohil and César Ramírez García and Letty Salinas and Marianne Elias and Pável Matos‐maraví},
journal = {Ecology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1002/ecy.70248},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05849568v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Quantifying the success of prey crypsis, aposematism, and evasiveness in avoiding predator attack
AU - Daniel Linke
AU - Jacqueline Hernandez Mejia
AU - Valery N P Eche Navarro
AU - Prapti Gohil
AU - César Ramírez García
AU - Letty Salinas
AU - Marianne Elias
AU - Pável Matos‐maraví
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/03
JO - Ecology
DO - 10.1002/ecy.70248
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05849568v1
AB - Antipredator defenses typically act at distinct stages of the predation sequenceencounter, identification, approach, and subjugation. However, their effectiveness has rarely been quantified and compared simultaneously in wild predator-prey systems. We conducted a study in Peru, where we installed aviaries at two localities and recorded the responses of wild avian predators to three types of antipredator defenses-crypsis, aposematism, and evasiveness-expressed by three butterfly prey types. The study included both immature and adult birds from forest and urban environments, representing the present community of insectivorous birds. We tested the theoretical expectations that cryptic butterflies (Nymphalidae: Euptychiina) were rarely detected, aposematic Heliconius (Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae) were often sighted but seldom attacked, and evasive Spicauda (Hesperiidae: Eudaminae) were frequently detected and attacked but evaded capture at higher rates. Despite these distinct defensive strategies, mortality rates among prey types were largely similar, but predator life stage strongly influenced defense effectiveness, with immature birds tending to attack Heliconius more frequently. Additionally, predator family influenced predation patterns, with more skilled insectivores (e.g., Vireonidae) showing higher capture success against defended prey. These findings illuminate the evolutionary pressures that shape predator behavior and prey.
SN - 0012-9658
SN - 1939-9170
ER -