Amata variation analysis for Eco-geographic hypotheses do not explain variation in warning signals in diurnal Amata nigriceps wasp moths

Aposematic prey use conspicuous warning signals to advertise a secondary defense. To be effective, warning signals should be reliable throughout a prey population. However, warning signals vary considerably across and within populations, often for unknown causes. Here, the Australian diurnal moth Amata nigriceps, which has orange wing spots on a black background, was used to explore four ecogeographic hypotheses explaining warning signal variability: the thermal melanism, the photo-protection, the desiccation resistance, and the predator-loss hypotheses. We collected live moths from 29 populations across 746 km of coastal New South Wales, Australia, and sampled relevant museum collections from 1896 to 1982. We quantified the proportion of orange wing spots (warning signal size) relative to site-specific abiotic (temperature, precipitation, solar radiation) and biotic factors (diversity of bird predators).
In museum specimens, warning signal size varied within the decade of collection, w...