Green Leaves, Red Flags: Host Plant Associations as Indicators of Prey Defense for an Avian Predator

Abstract

Defended prey are often thought to rely on conspicuous warning signals to distinguish themselves from undefended prey, facilitating predator learning and avoidance. Yet many chemically defended organisms are inconspicuous and difficult to distinguish from palatable prey, raising a fundamental question: how do predators avoid defended prey when prey themselves provide little or no reliable signals of defense? We tested whether host plants can function as indirect indicators of prey defense using Carolina wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus), chemically defended Eumaeus atala larvae, undefended Galleria mellonella larvae, and two distinct plant species. Defended and undefended prey were experimentally made to appear visually identical, forcing predators to rely on host-plant associations as the only available source of information. Wrens rapidly altered both search behavior and attack decisions according to plant identity. Mechanistic attack models incorporating predator discrimination between defended and undefended prey were strongly favored when plants were present, with defended prey experiencing substantially lower attack risk than undefended prey. When plants were removed, support for discrimination weakened and attacks on both prey types increased. Spatial autocorrelation of host plants further shaped predator behavior, with strongly clustered plants hosting defended prey receiving disproportionately fewer visits. Together, these results suggest host plants can function as ecologically meaningful cues of prey defense, influencing both predator search patterns and attack decisions. More broadly, our findings suggest warning systems may extend beyond prey phenotype alone, and that ecological context (including host-plant identity and spatial structure) may contribute to the evolution and maintenance of aposematism.