Abstract Warning coloration should be under strong stabilizing selection but often displays considerable intraspecific variation. Opposing selection on color by predators and temperature is one potential explanation for this seeming paradox. Despite the importance of behavior for both predator avoidance and thermoregulation, its role in mediating selection by predators and temperature on warning coloration has received little attention. Wood tiger moth caterpillars, Arctia plantaginis, have aposematic coloration, an orange patch on the black body. The size of the orange patch varies considerably: individuals with larger patches are safer from predators, but having a small patch is beneficial in cool environments. We investigated microhabitat preference by these caterpillars and how it interacted with their coloration. We expected caterpillar behavior to reflect a balance between spending time exposed to maximize basking and spending time concealed to avoid detection by predators. Instead, we found that caterpillars preferred exposed locations regardless of their coloration. Whether caterpillars were exposed or concealed had a strong effect on both temperature and predation risk, but caterpillars in exposed locations were both much warmer and less likely to be attacked by a bird predator (great tits, Parus major). This shared optimum may explain why we observed so little variation in caterpillar behavior and demonstrates the important effects of behavior on multiple functions of coloration.

中文翻译：

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公开：行为对捕食风险和不规则毛毛虫体温调节的影响

摘要 警告着色应在强稳定选择下，但通常显示出相当大的种内变异。反对捕食者和温度对颜色的选择是对这种看似悖论的一个潜在解释。尽管行为对于避免捕食者和调节体温都很重要，但它在调解捕食者选择和温度对警告着色方面的作用却很少受到关注。木虎蛾毛虫， Arctia plantaginis，具有不规则的着色，黑色身体上有橙色斑块。橙色斑块的大小差异很大：具有较大斑块的个体更安全，免受捕食者的侵害，但在凉爽的环境中拥有小块斑块是有益的。我们调查了这些毛虫对微生境的偏好以及它如何与它们的颜色相互作用。我们期望毛毛虫的行为反映了在暴露时间以最大限度地晒太阳和花费时间隐藏以避免被捕食者发现之间的平衡。相反，我们发现毛毛虫更喜欢暴露的位置，而不管它们的颜色如何。毛毛虫是否暴露或隐藏对温度和捕食风险都有很大影响，但暴露位置的毛毛虫温度高得多，而且不太可能受到鸟类捕食者（大山雀，Parus major）的攻击。这种共享的最佳状态可以解释为什么我们观察到毛毛虫行为的变化如此之小，并证明了行为对多种着色功能的重要影响。我们发现毛毛虫更喜欢暴露的位置，而不管它们的颜色如何。毛毛虫是否暴露或隐藏对温度和捕食风险都有很大影响，但暴露位置的毛毛虫温度更高，而且不太可能受到鸟类捕食者（大山雀，Parus Major）的攻击。这种共享的最佳状态可以解释为什么我们观察到毛毛虫行为的变化如此之小，并证明了行为对多种着色功能的重要影响。我们发现毛毛虫更喜欢暴露的位置，而不管它们的颜色如何。毛毛虫是否暴露或隐藏对温度和捕食风险都有很大影响，但暴露位置的毛毛虫温度更高，而且不太可能受到鸟类捕食者（大山雀，Parus Major）的攻击。这种共享的最佳状态可以解释为什么我们观察到毛毛虫行为的变化如此之小，并证明了行为对多种着色功能的重要影响。