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Section: Ecology
Topic: Ecology, Population biology

Influence of mimicry on extinction risk in Aculeata: a theoretical approach

Boutin, Maxime1 ; Costa, Manon2 ; Fontaine, Colin3 ; Perrard, Adrien1, 4 ; Llaurens, Violaine5
1 Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris) – UMR 7618 [Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, UPEC], 4 place Jussieu, F – 75005 Paris, France
2 Institut de Mathématiques de Toulouse ; UMR5219. Université de Toulouse ; CNRS – UPS, F-31062 Toulouse Cedex 9, France
3 Centre d′Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation, UMR 7204 MNHN-CNRS-Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d′Histoire naturelle, F-75005 Paris, France
4 Université Paris Cité, 85 boulevard Saint-Germain, F – 75006 Paris, France
5 Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, CP50, 75005 Paris, France

10.24072/pcjournal.342 - Peer Community Journal, Volume 3 (2023), article no. e113.

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Positive ecological interactions can play a role in community structure and species co-existence. A well-documented case of mutualistic interaction is Mullerian mimicry, the convergence of colour pattern in defended species living in sympatry. By reducing predation pressure, Mullerian mimicry may limit local extinction risks of defended species, but this positive effect can be weakened by undefended mimics (Batesian mimicry). While mimicry was well-studied in neotropical butterflies, it remains surprisingly poorly studied in wasps and bees (Hymenoptera: Aculeata). However, only females are defended in Aculeata and this female-limited defence may modulate the effect of Mullerian mimicry on extinction risks. Here, we focus on the effect of Mullerian mimicry on extinction risk in Aculeata, using a population dynamics model for two species. We show that Mullerian mimicry has a positive effect on species co-existence, but this effect depends on the sex-ratio. We found that the probability of extinction increases as the proportion of undefended males increases in the population, however co-existence still occurs if females are sufficiently abundant or noxious. Furthermore, we detected a destabilising effect of dual sex-limited mimicry (when each sex resembles a different model) on species co-existence. In a context of massive population decline caused by anthropic activities, our findings highlight the potential importance of Mullerian mimicry as an overlooked mechanism linked to extinction risk in wasp and bee species.

Published online:
DOI: 10.24072/pcjournal.342
Type: Research article
Keywords: Mullerian mimicry, mutualism, population dynamics, aculeata, sex-ratio, coexistence
Boutin, Maxime 1; Costa, Manon 2; Fontaine, Colin 3; Perrard, Adrien 1, 4; Llaurens, Violaine 5

1 Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris) – UMR 7618 [Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, UPEC], 4 place Jussieu, F – 75005 Paris, France
2 Institut de Mathématiques de Toulouse ; UMR5219. Université de Toulouse ; CNRS – UPS, F-31062 Toulouse Cedex 9, France
3 Centre d′Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation, UMR 7204 MNHN-CNRS-Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d′Histoire naturelle, F-75005 Paris, France
4 Université Paris Cité, 85 boulevard Saint-Germain, F – 75006 Paris, France
5 Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, CP50, 75005 Paris, France
License: CC-BY 4.0
Copyrights: The authors retain unrestricted copyrights and publishing rights 
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Boutin, Maxime; Costa, Manon; Fontaine, Colin; Perrard, Adrien; Llaurens, Violaine. Influence of mimicry on extinction risk in Aculeata: a theoretical approach. Peer Community Journal, Volume 3 (2023), article  no. e113. doi : 10.24072/pcjournal.342. https://peercommunityjournal.org/articles/10.24072/pcjournal.342/

PCI peer reviews and recommendation, and links to data, scripts, code and supplementary information: 10.24072/pci.ecology.100511

Conflict of interest of the recommender and peer reviewers:
The recommender in charge of the evaluation of the article and the reviewers declared that they have no conflict of interest (as defined in the code of conduct of PCI) with the authors or with the content of the article.

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