Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Lay Summary
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (21)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by De Cock, R.
Right arrow Articles by Matthysen, E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by De Cock, R.
Right arrow Articles by Matthysen, E.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Behavioral Ecology Vol. 14 No. 1: 103-108
© 2003 International Society for Behavioral Ecology

Glow-worm larvae bioluminescence (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) operates as an aposematic signal upon toads (Bufo bufo)

Raphaël De Cock and Erik Matthysen

Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp(UIA), Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium

Address correspondence to R. De Cock. E-mail: raphael.decock{at}ua.ac.be.

It is an established fact that the spectacular bioluminescent displays of adult fireflies and glow-worms are used as courtship signals; however, the survival value of the glowing behavior of their larvae remained the subject of speculation for many years. Our study is the first that demonstrates that lampyrid larvae use luminescence to signal unpalatability to nocturnal, visually guided predators. Wild-caught toads (Bufo bufo) were more reluctant to attack luminescent artificial prey, and we show that avoidance learning increased this reluctance. After being exposed to glow-worm larvae (Lampyris noctiluca), which the toads experienced as disagreeable, attack latencies to luminescent prey increased, but not those to nonglowing prey. Not all toads showed avoidance learning to the same extent, because of either differences in previous experience with glow-worms or differences in memory.

Key words: aposematism, bioluminescence, Bufo bufo, insect defenses, Lampyris noctiluca.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Proc R Soc BHome page
L. Bocak, M. Bocakova, T. Hunt, and A. P Vogler
Multiple ancient origins of neoteny in Lycidae (Coleoptera): consequences for ecology and macroevolution
Proc R Soc B, September 7, 2008; 275(1646): 2015 - 2023.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.