Responses of avian predators to polymorphic harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)

Harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) shows high level of colour polymorphism. Particular forms differ in their colour combination, pattern and abundance.
We tested the willingness of native, wild-caught passerines to attack and eat particular forms. We predicted that those forms that are more abundant in the wild are better protected, as they are more familiar to the predators. We compared the forms novemdecimsignata and spectabilis, which represent 97 % of individuals in the wild population, but importantly differ in their visual appearance (mostly orange vs. mostly black). Further, we examined three intermediate forms: axyridis, which is very scarce in the wild, and two forms not occurring in the wild – originating from laboratory breedings: suturalis and aninkae. As predators, we used great tit (Parus major), which is very aversive towards ladybirds, and tree sparrow (Passer montanus), which is quite willing to attack and even eat ladybirds. We compared their responses to particula..., Prey
Firstly, we used form novemdecimsignata (otherwise often called succinea), which has orange-red elytra with 19 black spots on both (Fig. 1). This form is the most common in the wild populations of Czech Republic (88 % of population – Nedvědová et al. 2013). Second form was spectabilis with black elytra with two red spots on each (Fig. 1). This form is the second most common in Czech Republic (9 % of population - Nedvědová et al. 2013). The third form, axyridis is the most common in some countries of origin of this species (Belyakova 2012); nevertheless, in the Czech Republic it is very scarce (1:1000 individuals, Nedvěd 2014). It has black elytra with six red spots on each (Fig. 1). Besides, two forms not occurring in the wild were used. Suturalis form evolved through a spontaneous mutation in the breeding of equicolor form (also very scarce in the wild) in the laboratory breeding at the Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia (FSci USB). It has red-and-black elytra with s..., , # Title of Dataset

Responses of avian predators to polymorphic harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)
Two bird species were confronted with different forms of harlequin ladybird

## Description of the data and file structure

ID refers to individual bird used in the experiments, each bird was used five times
bird - passer - Tree sparrow (Passer montanus), parus - Great tit (Parus major)
ladybird - form of Harmonia axyridis
trial - first to fifth experiment with a single bird
clean - number of cleanings of the bill
feed - number of attemts to eat the ladybird
feed0/1 - occurrence of the eating the ladybird
hand - number of attacks to the ladybird
hand0/1 - occurrence of attacking the ladybird
shake - number of flushing feathers
far - total time spent observing the ladybird from distance (in seconds)
close - number of approaches to the ladybird proximity