Persistence of multiple patterns and intraspecific polymorphism in multi-species Müllerian communities of net-winged beetles.
Matej BocekDominik KusyMichal MotykaLadislav BocakPublished in: Frontiers in zoology (2019)
As a result, we suggest that under certain light conditions the aposematic colour signal is less apparent than the body shape in net-winged beetle communities. We document variable environmental factors in our study area and highly diverse multi-species communities of other net-winged beetles. Which implies dynamically changing community structure in space and time. Variable environmental conditions and diverse community composition are suggested to be favorable for the persistence of multiple aposematic patterns, imperfect mimics, and intraspecific polymorphism. Further research should identify the relative effect of these factors on purifying selection and the alleles which are responsible for phenotypic differences.