DOI: 10.5061/dryad.c59zw3rh5
title: Data from: Is temporal synchrony necessary for effective Batesian mimicry?

description: Batesian mimicry occurs when palatable mimics gain protection from
 predators by evolving a phenotypic resemblance to an aposematic model
 species. While common in nature, the mechanisms maintaining mimicry are
 not fully understood. Patterns of temporal synchrony (i.e., temporal
 co-occurrence) and model first occurrence have been observed in several
 mimicry systems, but the hypothesis that predator foraging decisions can
 drive the evolution of prey phenology has not been experimentally tested.
 Here, using phenotypically accurate butterfly replicas we measured
 predation rates on the chemically defended model species Battus philenor
 and its imperfect Batesian mimic Limenitis arthemis astyanax under four
 different phenology conditions to understand the importance of temporal
 synchrony and model first occurrence in mimicry complexes. We predicted
 that protection for mimics increases when predators learn to avoid the
 models' aposematic signal right before encountering the mimic, and
 that learned avoidance breaks down over time in the model's absence.
 Surprisingly, we found that asynchronous model first occurrence, even on
 short time scales, did not provide increased protection for mimics. Mimics
 were only protected under conditions of temporal synchrony, suggesting
 that predators rely on current information, not previously learned
 information, when making foraging decisions. 
description: # Is temporal synchrony necessary for effective Batesian mimicry?
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.c59zw3rh5](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.c59zw3rh5) **Corresponding authors:** Abigial E. Robinson ([aer13@bu.edu](mailto:aer13@bu.edu)), Sean P. Mullen ([smullen@bu.edu](mailto:smullen@bu.edu)) **DESCRIPTION OF DATA FILE STRUCTURES AND VARIABLES** **DATA FILES** **Quabbin_GIS_Data.csv:** latitude and longitude coordinates for all field sites in the Quabbin Reservoir, MA, USA. Coordinates were collected using Garmin® eTrex 10 and 22x GPS units. experiment: experimental treatment that was conducted in that field site. Simultaneous treatment (sim), one-week time delay treatment (one), two-week time delay treatment (two), four-week time delay treatment (four) site: field site number (1-80) start_or_end: “start” indicates that the GPS coordinates are associated with the start of a field site, while “end” indicates the end of a field site latitude: latitude coordinate of field site longitude: longitude coordinate of field site time: date (yyyy-mm-dd) and time (00:00:00) that each coordinate measurement was taken #### **Spectral Reflectance Data:** **Limenitis_Facsimile_HW_Blue.csv:** spectral reflectance measurements of the blue hindwing (HW) color patch from 10 *Limenitis arthemis astyanax* facsimiles (i.e., fake butterfly models) wavelength: wavelength (NM) associated with each reflectance measurement fac_SampleNumber: columns show reflectance measurements of 10 samples labeled fac_1 through fac_10 **Limenitis_Real_HW_Blue.csv:** spectral reflectance measurements of the blue hindwing (HW) color patch from 10 *Limenitis arthemis astyanax* real butterfly wings wavelength: wavelength (NM) associated with each reflectance measurement real_SampleNumber: columns show reflectance measurements of 10 samples labeled real_1 through real_10 **Limenitis\_ Facsimile_FW_Black.csv:** spectral reflectance measurements of the black forewing (FW) color patch from 10 *Limenitis arthemis astyanax* facsimiles (i.e., fake butterfly models) wavelength: wavelength (NM) associated with each reflectance measurement fac_SampleNumber: columns show reflectance measurements of 10 samples labeled fac_1 through fac_10 **Limenitis_Real_FW_Black.csv:** spectral reflectance measurements of the black forewing (FW) color patch from 10 *Limenitis arthemis astyanax* real butterfly wings wavelength: wavelength (NM) associated with each reflectance measurement real_SampleNumber: columns show reflectance measurements of 10 samples labeled real_1 through real_10 **Battus_Facsimile_HW_Blue.csv:** spectral reflectance measurements of the blue hindwing (HW) color patch from 10 *Battus philenor* facsimiles (i.e., fake butterfly models) wavelength: wavelength (NM) associated with each reflectance measurement fac_SampleNumber: columns show reflectance measurements of 10 samples labeled fac_1 through fac_10 #### **Predation Data:** **Quabbin_Training_Phase_Data.csv:** data on predator attacks during training phase of predation experiment transect: transects that were associated with each experimental treatment; one-week time delay treatment (one), two-week time delay treatment (two), four-week time delay treatment (four) experiment.day: integer (1-4) representing the number of days a given facsimile had been in the field field.site: field site number (1-60) species: facsimile species; the model species *Battus philenor* (battus) or the control *Junonia coena* (junonia) attacks: number of facsimiles attacked in each site (count data) field.day: numeric value representing the calendar date corresponding to data collection during our 12-day experiment **Quabbin_Testing_Phase_Data.csv:** data on predator attacks during testing phase of predation experiment treatment: specifies experimental treatment; simultaneous treatment (zero), one-week time delay treatment (one), two-week time delay treatment (two), four-week time delay treatment (four) experiment.day: integer (1-4) representing the number of days a given facsimile had been in the field field.site: field site number (1-80) species: facsimile species; the model species *Battus philenor* (battus), the mimic species *Limenitis arthemis astyanax* (limenitis) or the control *Junonia coena* (junonia) attacks: number of facsimiles attacked in each site (count data) field.day: numeric value representing the calendar date corresponding to data collection during our 7-day testing phase experiment **Quabbin_Synchronous_Treatment_Data.csv:** data on predator attacks on model, mimic, and control facsimiles during the synchronous treatment of the testing phase treatment: specifies simultaneous treatment (zero) experiment.day: integer (1-4) representing the number of days a given facsimile had been in the field field.site: field site number (61-80) species: facsimile species; the model species *Battus philenor* (battus), the mimic species *Limenitis arthemis astyanax* (limenitis) or the control *Junonia coena* (junonia) attacks: number of facsimiles attacked in each site (count data) field.day: numeric value representing the calendar date corresponding to data collection during our 7-day testing phase experiment ### **CODE SCRIPTS** **PAVO.Rmd:** this script contains annotated code for the pavo analysis and calculations of JND scores. This script uses all spectral reflectance data files described above. Data for the spectral reflectance of the blue hindwing (HW) patches of *Battus philenor* real butterfly wings were taken from: Stavenga, D.G., Leertouwer, H.L. & Wilts, B.D. The colouration toolkit of the Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly, Battus philenor: thin films, papiliochromes, and melanin. J Comp Physiol A 200, 547–561 (2014). [https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-014-0901-7](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-014-0901-7) **GLMMS.Rmd:** this script contains annotated code for training and testing phase generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs). This script uses all predaton data files described above **ebird_analysis.Rmd:** This script contains code for all analyses of avian predator community dynamics and all associated figures. This script uses data downloaded from ebird.org; the datasets included here do not contain any information taken directly from *eBird*. *eBird* is an open access data source, and data used in this analysis can be downloaded directly from *eBird* using this link: [https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48000838205-download-ebird-data#anchorEBD](https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48000838205-download-ebird-data#anchorEBD) To replicate this analysis, download the *eBird* Basic Dataset (EBD) records from all states in the Northeastern USA (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) for all species and all years ## **R VERSION AND PACKAGE VERSION INFORMATION** $R.version.string \[1] "R version 4.4.1 (2024-06-14)" &gt; packageVersion("pgirmess") &gt; \[1] ‘2.0.3’ &gt; packageVersion("adehabitatHR") &gt; \[1] ‘0.4.21’ &gt; packageVersion("vegan") &gt; \[1] ‘2.6.6.1’ &gt; packageVersion("pavo") &gt; \[1] ‘2.9.0’ &gt; packageVersion("glmmTMB") &gt; \[1] ‘1.1.9’ &gt; packageVersion("DHARMa") &gt; \[1] ‘0.4.6’ &gt; packageVersion("emmeans") &gt; \[1] ‘1.10.2’ &gt; packageVersion("curl") &gt; \[1] ‘5.2.1’ &gt; packageVersion("ggplot2") &gt; \[1] ‘3.5.1’ &gt; packageVersion("lme4") &gt; \[1] ‘1.1.35.4’ &gt; packageVersion("patchwork") &gt; \[1] ‘1.2.0’ &gt; packageVersion("ggmap") &gt; \[1] ‘4.0.0’ &gt; packageVersion("googleway") &gt; \[1] ‘2.7.8’ &gt; packageVersion("rstudioapi") &gt; \[1] ‘0.16.0’ &gt; packageVersion("rstatix") &gt; \[1] ‘0.7.2’