Coevolutionary patterns between coloration and diel activity in moths
Anti-predator coloration is part of a key survival strategy in animals, often coevolving with behavioural traits such as diel activity. While previous studies have explored the link between conspicuous sexual signals and diurnality, the association between defensive coloration and diel activity rema...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The Royal Society
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.250543 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1839609402132267008 |
|---|---|
| author | Sohee Yoo Yongsu Kim Wonbin Lim Dohyun Rim Karl Loeffer-Henry Thomas N. Sherratt Changku Kang |
| author_facet | Sohee Yoo Yongsu Kim Wonbin Lim Dohyun Rim Karl Loeffer-Henry Thomas N. Sherratt Changku Kang |
| author_sort | Sohee Yoo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Anti-predator coloration is part of a key survival strategy in animals, often coevolving with behavioural traits such as diel activity. While previous studies have explored the link between conspicuous sexual signals and diurnality, the association between defensive coloration and diel activity remains unresolved. Here, we investigate the coevolutionary relationship between anti-predator coloration and diel activity in moths, a diverse clade with variable colour and activity patterns. Using a dataset of 322 moth species, we classified coloration of each species as cryptic or conspicuous and diel activity as diurnal, nocturnal, crepuscular or both day and night active (‘All’). We applied phylogenetic comparative methods to assess evolutionary transitions between these traits. Our findings suggest that moths ancestrally exhibited cryptic coloration and nocturnality. Conspicuous coloration was more frequent in diurnal species, supporting an evolutionary association between daytime activity and being conspicuous. Transitions between nocturnal and diurnal activity occurred predominantly through an intermediate All state, particularly in cryptic species. Cryptic diurnality also evolved in some lineages, possibly driven by specific ecological factors such as when thermoregulatory needs are high. These findings provide insights into the interplay between diel activity and anti-predator coloration, with implications for understanding correlated evolution between these two traits. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bfd9c9bd88cb468e8d0b9af3ffabb54d |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-bfd9c9bd88cb468e8d0b9af3ffabb54d2025-07-30T08:07:59ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032025-07-0112710.1098/rsos.250543Coevolutionary patterns between coloration and diel activity in mothsSohee Yoo0Yongsu Kim1Wonbin Lim2Dohyun Rim3Karl Loeffer-Henry4Thomas N. Sherratt5Changku Kang6Department of Bioscience, Mokpo National University, Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do, South KoreaDepartment of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, South KoreaDepartment of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, South KoreaDepartment of Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, South KoreaDepartment of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, South KoreaAnti-predator coloration is part of a key survival strategy in animals, often coevolving with behavioural traits such as diel activity. While previous studies have explored the link between conspicuous sexual signals and diurnality, the association between defensive coloration and diel activity remains unresolved. Here, we investigate the coevolutionary relationship between anti-predator coloration and diel activity in moths, a diverse clade with variable colour and activity patterns. Using a dataset of 322 moth species, we classified coloration of each species as cryptic or conspicuous and diel activity as diurnal, nocturnal, crepuscular or both day and night active (‘All’). We applied phylogenetic comparative methods to assess evolutionary transitions between these traits. Our findings suggest that moths ancestrally exhibited cryptic coloration and nocturnality. Conspicuous coloration was more frequent in diurnal species, supporting an evolutionary association between daytime activity and being conspicuous. Transitions between nocturnal and diurnal activity occurred predominantly through an intermediate All state, particularly in cryptic species. Cryptic diurnality also evolved in some lineages, possibly driven by specific ecological factors such as when thermoregulatory needs are high. These findings provide insights into the interplay between diel activity and anti-predator coloration, with implications for understanding correlated evolution between these two traits.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.250543anti-predatordiurnalnocturnalcrepuscularcamouflageaposematism |
| spellingShingle | Sohee Yoo Yongsu Kim Wonbin Lim Dohyun Rim Karl Loeffer-Henry Thomas N. Sherratt Changku Kang Coevolutionary patterns between coloration and diel activity in moths Royal Society Open Science anti-predator diurnal nocturnal crepuscular camouflage aposematism |
| title | Coevolutionary patterns between coloration and diel activity in moths |
| title_full | Coevolutionary patterns between coloration and diel activity in moths |
| title_fullStr | Coevolutionary patterns between coloration and diel activity in moths |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coevolutionary patterns between coloration and diel activity in moths |
| title_short | Coevolutionary patterns between coloration and diel activity in moths |
| title_sort | coevolutionary patterns between coloration and diel activity in moths |
| topic | anti-predator diurnal nocturnal crepuscular camouflage aposematism |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.250543 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT soheeyoo coevolutionarypatternsbetweencolorationanddielactivityinmoths AT yongsukim coevolutionarypatternsbetweencolorationanddielactivityinmoths AT wonbinlim coevolutionarypatternsbetweencolorationanddielactivityinmoths AT dohyunrim coevolutionarypatternsbetweencolorationanddielactivityinmoths AT karlloefferhenry coevolutionarypatternsbetweencolorationanddielactivityinmoths AT thomasnsherratt coevolutionarypatternsbetweencolorationanddielactivityinmoths AT changkukang coevolutionarypatternsbetweencolorationanddielactivityinmoths |