of crypsis , or avoidance of prey detection detection . Aposematism has been such a successful ... cuttlefish colours warning of toxicity Aposematism is a secondary defence mechanism that warns potential ... which is more effectively detected. ref name MacAuslane aut MacAuslane, Heather J. Sec. Aposematism ... thumb right The skunk is an example of mammalian aposematism. Aposematism is widespread in invertebrate ... of Polygonum knotweed , are thought to employ aposematism to warn herbivores of chemical such as unpalatability ... coral snake Further Mimicry Aposematism is a sufficiently successful strategy that other organisms lacking ... organisms in their environment. A second form of aposematism mimicry occurs when two organisms share ... to aposematism, though these two forms are among the best known and most studied. See also Handicap ... 1981 . cite journal last first title Toxicity, Odor Aversion, and Olfactory Aposematism coauthor ... journal last first title Sound strategy acoustic aposematism in the bat tiger moth arms race coauthor ... Mimicry, Aposematism and Related Phenomena in Animals & Plants publisher Vesmir isbn 80 85977 15 ..., D.C. 2003 . cite web last first coauthors title Multiple, recurring origins of aposematism ... ostrzegawcze pt Aposematismo sv Aposematism ... more details
Unreferenced date December 2009 Image Flower flyOnFlower2.jpg thumb right The conspicuous coloration of petal s attracts pollinators. It can also be noted that the hoverfly resting on the flower exhibits Batesian mimicry , copying the yellow black warning coloration of a yellowjacket wasp which was designed to advertise the wasp s potential to cause harm. Advertising coloration refers to semantic color s seen in numerous organisms. It is the opposite of camouflage , advertising the location of an organism or part of its anatomy. These signals are significant for their receivers. In the case of warning coloration, a form of aposematism , they function to make harmful organisms more distinct from prey that are safe to eat. Within species, they might serve as signals of aggression or indicate a female is receptive to mating . They may also attract other organisms, such as the bright colors of flower s and fruit . Evo ecol DEFAULTSORT Advertising Coloration Category Biological interactions Ecology stub ... more details
Taxobox name Ophiodiasteridae image Linckia.jpg image caption Linckia laevigata regnum Animal ia subregnum Eumetazoa phylum Echinodermata classis Asteroidea ordo Valvatida familia Ophidiasteridae subdivision ranks Genera subdivision See Text. Ophidiasteridae Greek ophidia , , of snakes , diminutive form is a family biology family of sea star s with 31 Genus genera . Occurring both in the Indo Pacific and Atlantic oceans, ophidiasterids are greatest in diversity in the Indo Pacific. Many of the genera in this family exhibits brilliant color and pattern, which sometimes can be attributed to aposematism and crypsis to protect themselves from predators. Some ophidiasterids possess remarkable powers of regeneration, enabling them to either reproduce asexually or to survive serious damage made by predators or forces of nature an example for this is the genus Linckia . The name of the family is taken from the genus Ophidiaster , whose limbs are slender, semi tubular and serpentine. Systematics Genera include Andora genus Andora Ceratonardoa Cistina Copidaster Dactylosaster Dissogene Fromia Ferdina Gomophia Hacelia Heteronardoa Leiaster Linckia Nardoa echinoderm Nardoa Neoferdina Ophidiaster Pharia genus Pharia Phataria Tamaria External links http www.calacademy.org research izg echinoderm classify.htm Classification of the Extant Echinodermata Category Asteroidea echinoderm stub az Ophidiasteridae fr Ophidiasteridae it Ophidiasteridae ru Ophidiasteridae ... more details
FeaturedPicture Image Cairns birdwing melbourne zoo.jpg picture of the day June 3, 2007 A butterfly is an insect of the order Lepidoptera. Like all Lepidoptera, butterflies are notable for their unusual life cycle with a larval caterpillar stage, an inactive pupal stage, and a spectacular metamorphosis into a familiar and colourful winged adult form. Most species are day flying so they regularly attract attention. The diverse patterns formed by their brightly coloured wings and their erratic yet graceful flight have made butterfly watching a popular hobby. Butterflies comprise of the true butterflies superfamily Papilionoidea , the skippers Superfamily Hesperioidea and the moth butterflies Superfamily Hedyloidea . Butterflies exhibit polymorphism, mimicry and aposematism. Some are known to migrate over large distances. Some butterflies have evolved symbiotic and parasitic relationships with social insects such as ants. Economically, butterflies are important by virtue of their being one of the major agents of pollination, in addition to a number of species which are pests on domestic crops and trees. Culturally, butterflies are a popular motif in the visual and literary arts. Category Australian featured pictures Category Images of butterflies and moths ... more details
Image Uperoleia fusca orange.jpg thumb A Dusky Toadlet displaying patches normally concealed Image BombinaVariegataJuv.jpg thumb The underside of a Yellow bellied toad The unken reflex is a passive defense posture adopted by toads , frogs and salamanders . When threatened by predators, they twist their bodies, or arch their backs and limbs to expose brightly colored aposematism aposematic skin. The normally concealed red, yellow, white and black patterns on the underbelly, inner surfaces of the limbs or underside of the tail serve as a visual warning to predators. To reinforce the warning, unken reflex is sometimes accompanied by toxic and malodorous secretions from glands in the skin. This is the case with the Rough skinned Newt , who releases the toxin tetrodotoxin while engaging in the unkenreflex. ref C. Michael Hogan 2008 Rough skinned Newt Taricha granulosa , Globaltwitcher, ed. N. Stromberg http www.globaltwitcher.com artspec information.asp?thingid 43182 ref This behaviour is named after the Fire bellied toad German Unke, plural Unken which exhibits this reflex. The same behaviour may be observed in other amphibians that do not have any warning colours. ref citation last Brodie first Edmund title Venomous Animals 300 Animals in Full Color publisher Western Publishing year 1989 isbn 0307240746 . ref References reflist evo ecol Category Antipredator adaptations de Unkenreflex es Unkenreflex nl Unkenreflex ... more details
Italic title Taxobox name Scolopendra heros regnum Animal ia phylum Arthropod a classis Centipede Chilopoda ordo Scolopendromorpha familia Scolopendridae genus Scolopendra species S. heros binomial Scolopendra heros binomial authority Charles Fr d ric Girard Girard , 1853 Scolopendra heros is a species of centipede found in North America . Description S. heros has an average length of convert 6.5 in , but can reach up to convert 8 in abbr on . ref name Barnes cite web url http www.uark.edu ua arthmuse sheros.html title Giant redheaded centipede author Jeffrey K. Barnes date June 21, 2002 work Arthropod Museum Notes 13 publisher University of Arkansas ref Its trunk bears 21 or 23 pairs of legs. ref cite book author Thomas Eisner, Maria Eisner & Melody Siegler year 2005 title Secret weapons defenses of insects, spiders, scorpions, and other many legged creatures publisher Harvard University Press isbn 9780674018822 chapter Scolopendra heros the giant Sonoran centipede pages 29 32 url http books.google.co.uk books?id rjPZWwhS7GUC&pg PA29 ref It is Aposematism aposematically colored , to warn off potential predator s, and a number of color variants are known in the species. ref name Barnes Distribution and ecology S. heros is found in northern Mexico and the southern United States , from New Mexico and Arizona in the west, to Arkansas and Missouri in the east. ref name Barnes It remains underground on warm days, emerging in cloudy weather. ref cite book author J. G. E. Lewis year 2005 title The Biology of Centipedes publisher Cambridge University Press isbn 9780521034111 chapter Physiology and ecology pages 375 406 url http books.google.co.uk books?id AEp22u6tJgsC&pg PA394 ref References reflist Category Centipedes Category Animals described in 1853 nv J nii bitsiits iin ich g eo Arizona dezerta centpiedulo ... more details
Image Laser Warning Light and Sign.jpg thumb Warning light indicating danger of laser exposure. A warning system is any system of biological or technical nature deployed by an individual or group to inform of a future Risk danger . Its purpose is to enable the deployer of the warning system to prepare for the danger and act accordingly to mitigate or avoid it. Biological warning systems Aposematism e.g. warning coloration Climate canary Fear Domestic Canary Miner s canary Pain Man made warning systems Emergency population warning Civilian warning systems Image Wheelock as.jpg thumb A fire alarm that warns people if a building is on fire . http www.municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca ema epws.htm Alberta Emergency Public Warning System Automatic Warning System Child abduction alert system Dam safety system Earthquake warning system Emergency Alert System United States Famine Early Warning Systems Network Federal Civil Defense Authority Fire alarm system Gale warning Ground proximity warning system Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System International Early Warning Programme J Alert Lane departure warning system National Severe Weather Warning Service N.E.A.R. National Emergency Alarm Repeater North Warning System Traffic Collision Avoidance System Train Protection & Warning System Tsunami warning system Military warning systems Airborne Early Warning and Control Ballistic Missile Early Warning System CONELRAD Chain Home Chain Home Low ROTOR External links Category Warning systems de Warnsystem lv Br din juma sist ma pl System wczesnego ostrzegania ... more details
. Journal of Experimental Biology 194 285 298 ref Aposematism see also Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid Sequestration ... makes, in some species but not all. The insects advertise these defenses with aposematism ... Hristov NI, Conner WE 2005 Sound strategy acoustic aposematism in the bat tiger moth arms race ... and references Zootaxa 1677 1 reflist Other references Bates DL, Fenton MB 1990 Aposematism or startle ... more details
Taxobox name Hickory tussock moth image Lophocampa caryae.jpg regnum Animal ia phylum Arthropod a classis Insect a ordo Lepidoptera familia Arctiidae genus Lophocampa species L. caryae binomial Lophocampa caryae binomial authority Harris, 1841 synonyms Halysidota caryae Lophocampa caryae , the Hickory Tussock Moth or Hickory Halisidota , is a moth in the family Arctiidae . Like most species in its family, the caterpillars acquire chemical defenses from their host plants Weller et al. 1999 . The behaviour and aposematism aposematic coloration of the larvae caterpillars also suggests chemical protection in this stage, although they have not been analyzed for alkaloid or cardenolide content. Formerly placed in the genus Halysidota . Life cycle One generation per year Wagner 2005 . Larva Caterpillar s are covered all over in long hairlike setae, in spreading tufts. Most are white, but there are black tufts along the middle of the back, and four long black hair pencils two near the front, and two near the back . These hairs cause itchy rashes in some people Wagner, 2005 . There are black spots along the sides, and the head capsule is black. Mature caterpillars are found from July to September Wagner 2005 . Caterpillars feed in groups of 100 or so in the early instars Wagner 2005 , skeletonizing the leaves. They become solitary later. Grows to a length of 45 mm. Pupa The cocoon is loose and has hairs woven into it, and overwinters in the leaf litter Wagner 2005 . Adults Fore wings are yellowish brown, marked with white splotches in a kind of stained glass effect. The hindwings are mostly white. The body is hairy and pale brown. Moths fly in May and June Rose and Lindquist, 1982 . Food plants Primarily feeds on hickory, pecan and walnuts, but will also eat ash, elm, oak, willow, and many others Wagner, 2005 . Occasionally causes local defoliation of nut trees, but high densities do not last long enough to cause a lot of damage Rose and Lindquist 1982 References Rose, AH an ... more details
This article was auto generated by User Polbot . Taxobox name Spectacled Salamander image Brillensalamander.JPG status LC status system IUCN3.1 regnum Animalia phylum Chordata classis Amphibia ordo Caudata familia Salamandridae genus Salamandrina species S. terdigitata binomial Salamandrina terdigitata binomial authority Lac p de, 1788 synonyms Salamandra perspicillata Savi, 1821 range map Salamandrina terdigitata dis.png The Spectacled Salamander Salamandrina terdigitata is a species of salamander in the Salamandridae family. It is found only in Italy . Its natural habitat s are temperate forest s, river s, and freshwater marsh es. It is threatened by habitat loss . This species is found only in the Apennine Range in humid valleys and shady, overgrown hillsides at altitudes between 200m and 1,200m. It is considered an important indicator species of environmental health. It has 4 toes on the hind feet rather than the 5 normally found in other salamanders and newts. It has a warty, brownish black back, and a rather ribbed appearance on its flanks, with a creamy white, V shaped mark between the eyes. The underside is covered in black and white markings, with pinkish red underside to legs and tail. The Spectacled Salamander is most often found near streams, in dense vegetation, under leaf litter, dead wood or stones. It is nocturnal and terrestrial. s. When threatened, it raises its tail and legs unkenreflex , displaying its red underside as a deterrent. Similar warning displays aposematism is shown by newts , the Apennine Yellow bellied Toad and the Spotted Salamander . Mating takes place on land in spring. Clutches contain about 30 50 eggs and the larvae take 2 3 months to develop. The Spectacled Salamander female enters water only to lay eggs, while the male, once metamorphosis has taken place, avoids water altogether. The IUCN Red List follows Mattoccia et al. 2005 and Canestrelli et al. 2006 in separating Salamandrina perspicillata from S. terdigitata. References ... more details
Tymbal or timbal is a term for a corrugated exoskeleton exoskeletal structure used to produce sounds in insects. In male cicada s, the tymbals are membranes in the abdomen, responsible for the characteristic sound produced by the insect. In tiger moth s, the tymbals are modified regions of the thorax , and produce high frequency clicks. The paired tymbals of a cicada are located on the sides of the abdomen abdominal base. The singing of a cicada is not stridulation as in many other familiar sound producing insects like cricket insect crickets where one structure is rubbed against another the tymbals are regions of the exoskeleton that are modified to form a complex membrane with thin, membranous portions and thickened ribs . These membranes vibrate rapidly, and enlarged chambers derived from the Invertebrate trachea tracheae make the cicada s body serve as a resonance chamber, greatly amplifying the sound. Some cicadas produce sounds louder than 106 dB SPL , among the loudest of all insect produced sounds. They modulate their noise by positioning their abdomens toward or away from the substrate. The tymbals of a tiger moth are specialized regions on the metathorax metathoracic episternum episterna , normally corrugated such that sound is produced when the entire tymbal surface is buckled by muscular contraction and then released, producing a series of extremely rapid clicks as the corrugations flex back into place ref J.H. FULLARD AND B. HELLER 1990 Functional Organization of the Arctiid Moth Tymbal Insecta, Lepidoptera JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY 204 57 65 ref . These sounds are only occasionally audible to humans, and are used in both acoustic aposematism the moths are advertising to bats that they are toxic ref Surlykke, A., and L.A. Miller 1985 The influence of arctiid moth clicks on bat echolocation Jamming or warning? J. Comp. Physiol. A 156 831 843. ref , and as mating signals. A recent study ref Aaron J. Corcoran, et al. 2009 Tiger Moth Jams Bat Sonar. Scienc ... more details
italic title Taxobox name Trombidium holosericeum image Trombidium holosericeum LC0127.jpg image caption Adult T. holosericeum regnum Animal ia phylum Arthropod a classis Arachnid a subclassis Acari ordo Trombidiformes familia Trombidiidae genus Trombidium species T. holosericeum binomial Trombidium holosericeum binomial authority Carl Linnaeus Linnaeus , 1758 synonyms Acarus holosericeus Trombidium holosericeum is a species of mite in the genus Trombidium , commonly called the velvet mite . Description File Phalangium opilio bl.JPG The harvestman Phalangium opilio with a parasitic mite larva attached to its leg, probably T. holosericeum left thumb This species is one of the largest mites in northern temperate zones, with a body length of about 4 mm. The soft, brightly red body is covered with fine hairs, giving it a velvety appearance. The small eyes are located on stalks. They have scissor like chelicera e, their pedipalp s are used as touch organs. Its bright red color results from carotenoid s, warning predator s about the toxicity of the mite aposematism . Almost nothing is known about the toxic substances used, but they are probably contained within the integument . The specific epithet is derived from Ancient Greek lang el holo whole and lang el seric silken . Biology While adults live freely and are often found wandering about, searching for small animals and insect eggs for food, the larva e try to find a host to attach themselves to, often an insect like a grasshopper or diptera diptere , but also arachnids like harvestmen or spider s. At this stage they are seen as red globules on their hosts, sucking body liquid without severely harming the host. These larvae then develop into free living nymph s that resemble adults. T. sericeum is a palearctic species. , it is found through out North America, though more common in the south, because they prefer warmer climate. References reflist Synopsis of the described Arachnida of the World http insects.tamu.ed ... more details
mimicry is impossible without first understanding aposematism , or warning signals. Dangerous organisms ... . Aposematism and crypsis are in this way opposing concepts, but this does not mean they are mutually ... more details
is an advertisement of danger or unpalatability, or aposematism . Given the effectiveness of this, it is no surprise ..., G.H. Yack, J.E. 2007 Clicking caterpillars acoustic aposematism in Antheraea polyphemus and other Bombycoidea. J Exp Biol 210 993 1005. ref Scientists believe this to be acoustic aposematism which ..., W. E. 2005 Sound strategy acoustic aposematism in the bat tiger moth arms race. Naturwissenschaften ... more details
, 7023, 205 207 Speed, M. P. and Ruxton, G. D. 2005 Aposematism what should our starting point be? Proceedings ... Speed, M. P. and Ruxton, G. D. 2005 Warning displays in spiny animals One more evolutionary route to aposematism ... more details
13 169 199. ref Aposematism Main Aposematism File Yellow banded.poison.dart.frog.arp.jpg ... eaten, whether animal, plant or anything else. Use of such messages is known as aposematism . Aposematic ..., aposematism, often occur. However, once a predator has learned from harsh experience not to go ... more details
Taxobox name Hypercompe image giant leopard moth 20050612 173823 1.1300x1210.jpg image width 240px image caption Giant Leopard Moth , br Hypercompe scribonia regnum Animal ia phylum Arthropod a classis Insect a ordo Lepidoptera subordo Macrolepidoptera superfamilia Noctuoidea familia Arctiidae subfamilia Arctiinae tribus Arctiini genus Hypercompe genus authority Jacob H bner H bner , 1819 synonyms Ecpantheria small H bner, 1820 small br Agaposoma small Cajetan Freiherr von Felder C. Felder , 1874 small br Catenina small Hermann Burmeister Burmeister , 1883 small Hypercompe is a genus of moth s of the Family biology family Arctiidae . There are over 80 species found throughout the Americas . Several species were formerly separated in Ecpantheria which is now regarded as a junior synonym . They are typically large moths with white forewings heavily spotted with black, and brightly colored abdomens which are exposed when the moth is threatened. This is a form of aposematism they produce copious amounts of foul smelling defensive chemicals, which they ooze from special points of weakness on the thorax , to discourage would be predator s without having to be eaten. Citation needed date January 2007 Species Species include Hypercompe abdominalis Recorded food plants include Brassica and Veronica plant Veronica Hypercompe albescens Food plant Musa Musaceae Musa Hypercompe albicornis Recorded food plants include Helianthus , Luffa and Phaseolus Hypercompe albiscripta Hypercompe alpha Hypercompe amulaensis Hypercompe andromela Hypercompe anomala Hypercompe atra Hypercompe bari Hypercompe beckeri Hypercompe bolivar Hypercompe brasiliensis Hypercompe bricenoi Hypercompe burmeisteri Hypercompe campinasa Food plant Gossypium Gossypium herbaceum Hypercompe castronis Hypercompe caudata small Walker, 1855 small Hypercompe cermellii Recorded food plants include Gossypium , Plantago and Solanum Hypercompe chelifer Hypercompe confusa Hypercompe conspersa Hypercompe contexta Hypercompe ... more details
NOTOC Taxobox name Blacksmith Lapwing status LC status system IUCN3.1 image Vanellus armatus taxobox .jpg image width image caption At Walvis Bay , Namibia regnum Animal ia phylum Chordate Chordata classis bird Aves ordo Charadriiformes familia Charadriidae genus Vanellus species V. armatus binomial Vanellus armatus binomial authority William John Burchell Burchell , 1822 synonyms Anitibyx armatus small Burchell, 1822 small br Charadrius armatus small Burchell, 1822 small The Blacksmith Lapwing or Blacksmith Plover Vanellus armatus occurs commonly from Kenya through central Tanzania to southern and southwestern Africa. The vernacular name derives from the repeated metallic tink, tink, tink alarm call, which suggests a blacksmith s hammer striking an anvil. Description Blacksmith Lapwings are very boldly patterned in black, grey and white, possibly Aposematism warning colours to predators. It is one of five lapwing species two African, one Asian and two Neotropical that share the characteristics of a carpal wing spur, red eye and a bold pied plumage. The bare parts are black. Females average larger and heavier but the sexes are generally alike. Habitat and numbers The Blacksmith Lapwing occurs in association with wetlands of all sizes. Even very small damp areas caused by a spilling water trough can attract them. In South Africa they are most numerous in the Mesic habitat mesic grassland region, less so in higher rainfall grasslands. Like the Crowned Lapwing , this species may leave Zambia and Zimbabwe in years of high rainfall and return in dry years. It avoids mountains of any type. Blacksmith Lapwings expanded their range in the 20th century into areas where dams were built and where intensive farming was practiced. Consequently they are now numerous and established in the western Cape region of South Africa, where they were absent until the 1930s. In this region they have also entered estuary estuarine mud flats in winter where they aggressively displace other wa ... more details
Taxobox name Crucifix Toad image Notaden bennettii.JPG image caption A male Crucifix toad. regnum Animal ia phylum Chordate Chordata classis Amphibia ordo Anura familia Myobatrachidae subfamilia Limnodynastinae genus Notaden species N. bennettii binomial Notaden bennettii binomial authority Albert C. L. G. G nther G nther , 1873 range map Notaden bennettii distrib.PNG range map caption Range of the Crucifix Toad The Crucifix Toad or Holy Cross Frog Notaden bennettii is an Australia n, fossorial frog . It is one of the few Australian frogs to display aposematism . It is native to wastern New South Wales , and south western Queensland . Physical description The Crucifix Toad is the most distinctive species of frog within the Notaden genus. Whereas most Notaden frogs are dark brown in colour, the Crucifix Toad exhibits many bright colours. Its dorsal surface is bright yellow, with a cross of many colours centered on the back. The cross is outlined with large, black dots, and filled with white, black and red dots. The ventral surface is white, and the flank s blue. The Crucifix Toad is a small, and very round frog. Its nose is blunt, and legs and feet are small. As this species is fossorial, the tympanum is hidden. Males reach a length of 6.3 centimetres 2.5 in , and females a length of 6.8 centimetres 2.7 in . The species feet have little spades to help them burrow deeply. ref name fg Ecology and behaviour The Crucifix Toad is a ground dwelling frog, which inhabits the arid areas of western New South Wales and Queensland. To survive long periods without water, the Crucifix Toad will bury itself underground and encase itself in a cocoon. ref name rbnt Upon very heavy rain, they will emerge from the ground, and begin breeding in temporary ponds. The males call from within the pond to attract the female. The call is a woop . The development of the tadpole is rapid so as to take advantage of the wet conditions and reducing the risk of them dying from the pond dry ... more details
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