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Is temporal synchrony necessary for effective Batesian mimicry?

Abigail E Robinson¹, Isabel Novick¹, Jessica Herrmann¹

¹Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.

Proceedings. Biological Sciences

|January 21, 2025

Summary

Predators protect palatable mimics only when they occur simultaneously with aposematic models. Learned avoidance of toxic models does not protect mimics if models are absent, highlighting the importance of current predator information in mimicry dynamics.

Keywords:

frequency dependence imperfect mimicry phenology predation temporal synchrony

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Behavioral Ecology

Background:

Batesian mimicry involves palatable species resembling toxic ones to deter predators.
Mechanisms maintaining mimicry, particularly predator learning and prey phenology, are not fully understood.
Previous observations suggest temporal synchrony and model first occurrence are important in mimicry systems.

Purpose of the Study:

To experimentally test if predator foraging decisions drive the evolution of prey phenology in mimicry complexes.
To investigate the importance of temporal synchrony and model first occurrence for mimic protection.
To determine if learned avoidance of aposematic models benefits Batesian mimics.

Main Methods:

Used phenotypically accurate butterfly replicas of the model species *Battus philenor* and mimic species *Limenitis arthemis astyanax*.
Measured predation rates on replicas under four different phenological conditions.
Manipulated temporal synchrony and model first occurrence to simulate natural predator-prey interactions.

Main Results:

Asynchronous model first occurrence, even on short timescales, did not increase mimic protection.
Mimics received protection solely under conditions of temporal synchrony with the model.
Predator avoidance of the model did not persist over time in the model's absence.

Conclusions:

Temporal synchrony is crucial for predator-prey interactions in Batesian mimicry.
Predators rely on current environmental cues (i.e., simultaneous presence of model and mimic) rather than learned avoidance from past encounters.
These findings suggest that predator foraging decisions, driven by immediate information, shape the phenological evolution of mimicry complexes.