Current evidence of climate‐driven colour change in insects and its impact on sexual signals

Abstract The colours of insects function in intraspecific communication such as sexual signalling, interspecific communication such as protection from predators, and in physiological processes, such as thermoregulation. The expression of melanin‐based colours is temperature‐dependent and thus likely...

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Main Authors: Md Tangigul Haque, Md Kawsar Khan, Marie E. Herberstein
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-07-01
Series:Ecology and Evolution
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11623
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author Md Tangigul Haque
Md Kawsar Khan
Marie E. Herberstein
author_facet Md Tangigul Haque
Md Kawsar Khan
Marie E. Herberstein
author_sort Md Tangigul Haque
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The colours of insects function in intraspecific communication such as sexual signalling, interspecific communication such as protection from predators, and in physiological processes, such as thermoregulation. The expression of melanin‐based colours is temperature‐dependent and thus likely to be impacted by a changing climate. However, it is unclear how climate change drives changes in body and wing colour may impact insect physiology and their interactions with conspecifics (e.g. mates) or heterospecific (e.g. predators or prey). The aim of this review is to synthesise the current knowledge of the consequences of climate‐driven colour change on insects. Here, we discuss the environmental factors that affect insect colours, and then we outline the adaptive mechanisms in terms of phenotypic plasticity and microevolutionary response. Throughout we discuss the impact of climate‐related colour change on insect physiology, and interactions with con‐and‐heterospecifics.
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series Ecology and Evolution
spelling doaj-art-7f414ab8629c4c82849b0ddf765d3bb52025-08-20T03:30:55ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582024-07-01147n/an/a10.1002/ece3.11623Current evidence of climate‐driven colour change in insects and its impact on sexual signalsMd Tangigul Haque0Md Kawsar Khan1Marie E. Herberstein2School of Natural Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales AustraliaSchool of Natural Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales AustraliaSchool of Natural Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales AustraliaAbstract The colours of insects function in intraspecific communication such as sexual signalling, interspecific communication such as protection from predators, and in physiological processes, such as thermoregulation. The expression of melanin‐based colours is temperature‐dependent and thus likely to be impacted by a changing climate. However, it is unclear how climate change drives changes in body and wing colour may impact insect physiology and their interactions with conspecifics (e.g. mates) or heterospecific (e.g. predators or prey). The aim of this review is to synthesise the current knowledge of the consequences of climate‐driven colour change on insects. Here, we discuss the environmental factors that affect insect colours, and then we outline the adaptive mechanisms in terms of phenotypic plasticity and microevolutionary response. Throughout we discuss the impact of climate‐related colour change on insect physiology, and interactions with con‐and‐heterospecifics.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11623climate changecolourinsectssexual selectionsexual signals
spellingShingle Md Tangigul Haque
Md Kawsar Khan
Marie E. Herberstein
Current evidence of climate‐driven colour change in insects and its impact on sexual signals
Ecology and Evolution
climate change
colour
insects
sexual selection
sexual signals
title Current evidence of climate‐driven colour change in insects and its impact on sexual signals
title_full Current evidence of climate‐driven colour change in insects and its impact on sexual signals
title_fullStr Current evidence of climate‐driven colour change in insects and its impact on sexual signals
title_full_unstemmed Current evidence of climate‐driven colour change in insects and its impact on sexual signals
title_short Current evidence of climate‐driven colour change in insects and its impact on sexual signals
title_sort current evidence of climate driven colour change in insects and its impact on sexual signals
topic climate change
colour
insects
sexual selection
sexual signals
url https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11623
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AT mdkawsarkhan currentevidenceofclimatedrivencolourchangeininsectsanditsimpactonsexualsignals
AT marieeherberstein currentevidenceofclimatedrivencolourchangeininsectsanditsimpactonsexualsignals