TY - JOUR
T1 - A test of the coevolution theory of autumn colours
T2 - Colour preference of Rhopalosiphum padi on Prunus padus
AU - Archetti, Marco
AU - Leather, Simon R.
PY - 2005/8
Y1 - 2005/8
N2 - According to the coevolution theory of autumn colours, the bright colours of trees evolved as a warning signal towards parasites colonizing the plant in autumn. We monitored colonization of the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi on individual tress of Prunus padus in autumn and observed a strong preference of aphids for trees with green leaves. This is the first direct observation of a key assumption of the theory, that parasites avoid bright colours. Moreover our observations, compared with previous data gathered on the same species, suggest that aphids colonizing trees with green leaves develop better in spring than aphids colonizing trees with bright autumn colours, which is consistent with the second main assumption of the coevolution theory.
AB - According to the coevolution theory of autumn colours, the bright colours of trees evolved as a warning signal towards parasites colonizing the plant in autumn. We monitored colonization of the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi on individual tress of Prunus padus in autumn and observed a strong preference of aphids for trees with green leaves. This is the first direct observation of a key assumption of the theory, that parasites avoid bright colours. Moreover our observations, compared with previous data gathered on the same species, suggest that aphids colonizing trees with green leaves develop better in spring than aphids colonizing trees with bright autumn colours, which is consistent with the second main assumption of the coevolution theory.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=20644450558&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=20644450558&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.0030-1299.2005.13656.x
DO - 10.1111/j.0030-1299.2005.13656.x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:20644450558
SN - 0030-1299
VL - 110
SP - 339
EP - 343
JO - Oikos
JF - Oikos
IS - 2
ER -