The-roles-of-colour-and-shape-in-pollinator-deception-in-the-orchid-mantis-Hymenopus-coronatus.
Excerpt: The orchid mantis, Hymenopus coronatus (Insecta: Mantodea), is renown
for its visual resemblance to a flower blossom. It has been hypothesised that
the 'flower like' orchid mantis is an aggressive mimic that attracts pollinators
as prey items. This is the first study into the morphology of the orchid
mantis that explores this widely discussed hypothesis. We quantified color
and shape patterns of orchid mantises that are likely to present visual cues
to pollinators. We used spectrometry to measure their overall coloration
and geometric morphometric techniques to quantify the shape of their
'petal-like' mid- and hind-legs. This was done for both juvenile and adult
female orchid mantises. To investigate how this stimulus may be perceived
by a pollinating insect we investigated within-individual color variation
using physiological models of hymenopteran vision. Mantises were found
to reflect primarily UV- absorbing white. Visual models indicated that within
individuals, different body parts did not contrast highly in color. Femoral
lobes showed patterns of bilateral symmetry with juveniles expressing similar
patterns of shape variation to adults. The results are used to provide specific
and testable hypotheses as to how the morphology of the orchid mantis
may constitute a signal directed towards pollinating insects.
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orchid mantis evolutionary research
The orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus) transitions from black-and-red to pink-white coloration during development, a shift driven by the Redboy pigment transporter. This transition serves different ecological functions: red coloration helps hatchlings mimic stink bugs for predator avoidance, while the pink-white coloration of older nymphs provides floral camouflage for both predator avoidance and prey attraction. The Redboy transporter, upregulated by ecdysone, facilitates this shift by exporting red pigments in early stages and importing white pigments in later stages.
Evolutionary Basis:
Redboy's Role:
The Redboy transporter, a novel ABCG transporter, arose by gene family expansion and positive selection, specifically to handle the transition from red to white coloration, according to research on Nature.
Hormonal Regulation:
The hormone ecdysone regulates Redboy, ensuring the pigment transition happens at the appropriate developmental stage, according to research on ResearchGate.
Genetic Adaptation:
The evolutionary changes in Redboy have allowed orchid mantises to adapt their body color to different life stages and ecological niches.
Ecological Functions:
Aposematic Mimicry (Hatchlings):
The initial black-and-red coloration serves as a warning signal, mimicking the appearance of stink bugs, which are known to be distasteful or toxic to predators.
Camouflage (Older Nymphs):
The pink-white coloration provides floral camouflage, helping the mantis blend in with flowers and avoid detection by predators.
Prey Attraction:
The flower-like appearance also attracts unsuspecting prey, such as small insects, to their location, enhancing the mantis's hunting success.
In summary, the orchid mantis's body color transition is a fascinating example of ontogenetic camouflage and adaptive evolution, where the color changes throughout the mantis's life serve distinct ecological roles in where the color changes throughout the mantis's life serve distinct ecological roles in predator avoidance and prey attraction.
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