Welcome to

UCLanData

Image Credit Header image: Artwork by Professor Lubaina Himid, CBE. Photo: @Denise Swanson


Data from: Evidence for Batesian mimicry in a polymorphic hoverfly

Edmunds, Malcolm and Reader, Tom Data from: Evidence for Batesian mimicry in a polymorphic hoverfly. [DataSet]

Description

Palatable Batesian mimics are avoided by predators because they resemble noxious or defended species. The striking resemblance of many hoverflies to noxious Hymenoptera is a “textbook” example of Batesian mimicry, but evidence that selection by predators has shaped the evolution of hoverfly patterns is weak. We looked for geographical and temporal trends in frequencies of morphs of the polymorphic hoverfly Volucella bombylans that would support the hypothesis that these morphs are Batesian mimics of different bumblebee species. The frequency of the black and yellow hoverfly morph was significantly positively related to the frequency of black and yellow bumblebees across 52 sites. Similarly, the frequency of the red-tailed hoverfly morph was positively related to the frequency of red-tailed bumblebees. However, the frequencies of hoverfly morphs were positively spatially autocorrelated, and after controlling for this, only one of the two common hoverfly morphs showed a significant positive relationship with its putative model. We conclude that the distribution of V. bombylans morphs probably reflects geographical variation in selection by predators resulting from differences in the frequencies of noxious bumblebee species.

Research / Data Type: Collection - various types
DOI: 10.17030/uclan.data.00000269
Depositing User: CLoK admin
Date Deposited: 30 Sep 2020 13:54
Revision: 11
URI: https://uclandata.uclan.ac.uk/id/eprint/269

Available Files

No Files to display

Related Resources

Repository Staff Only: item control page