Abstract
Laboratory experiments were conducted to examine whether the lizardEumeces okadae can visually discriminate between ground beetles with different chemical defenses and color patterns.Harpalus spp., which are uniformly black and emit formic acid, andDischissus mirandus, which has four bright yellow spots on a jet black back and emits metacresol, were tested. TheHarpalus beetles were attacked immediately after presentation, whereasD. mirandus was ignored on sight. By artificially paintingD. mirandus all black, a significantly higher frequency of tongue licks (close chemical examination of prey) was clicited than that by normally colored control beetles, indicating that the conspicuous coloration ofD. mirandus was functionally and visually warning to the lizards.
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Hasegawa, M., Taniguchi, Y. Visual avoidance of a conspicuously colored carabid beetleDischissus mirandus by the LizardEumeces okadae . J. Ethol. 12, 9–14 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02350074
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02350074