Further evidence that in African acacia, white is a warning colour to herbivores: the white pseudo-galls of <i>Vachellia seyal</i>

Pseudo-galls of three East African acacia (<i>Vachellia</i>) species were compared to determine the correlates of gall colour and their potential defensive functions. Although all three species produce white thorns, the pseudo-galls of <i>V. gerrardii</i> and <i>V. drepanolobium</i> are dark coloured. In contrast, pseudo-galls of <i>V. seyal</i> var. <i>fistula</i> are white. Associated with this, they are thin-walled and poorly used by aggressive mutualistic ants. We suggest that this weak functionality is compensated for by the highly visible white colour. This aposematism may also involve mimicry as only the <i>fistula</i> variety of <i>V. seyal</i> has galls and only this variety co-occurs with other <i>Vachellia</i> species that have functional galls. <i>Vachellia seyal seyal</i> does not have pseudo-galls and this variety does not occur with other <i>Vachellia</i> species that have pseudo-galls.本研究对三种东非金合欢（*Vachellia*）属物种的假虫瘿开展对比分析，旨在探究虫瘿颜色的关联特征及其潜在防御功能。尽管三个物种均具白色棘刺，但*V. gerrardii*与*V. drepanolobium*的假虫瘿呈深色。与之相反，*V. seyal* var. *fistula*的假虫瘿则为白色。与此特征相对应，该变种的假虫瘿壁较薄，且极少被具有攻击性的互利共生蚂蚁利用。我们认为，这种防御功能的不足可通过其醒目的白色得以补偿。此种警戒色（aposematism）或兼具拟态效应：仅*V. seyal* var. *fistula*拥有假虫瘿，且该变种仅与其他具备功能性假虫瘿的*Vachellia*属物种同域分布。而*Vachellia seyal seyal*并无假虫瘿，且该变种不会与其他具有假虫瘿的*Vachellia*属物种同域分布。

搜集汇总

背景与挑战

背景概述

该数据集发布于2016年，聚焦于非洲金合欢物种中白色伪瘿的防御功能研究，特别是Vachellia seyal var. fistula的白色伪瘿，这些伪瘿壁薄且较少被蚂蚁利用，作者提出其白色可能作为一种警戒色来补偿功能缺陷，并涉及拟态现象。数据集包含相关PDF文件，覆盖生态学、植物生物学等领域，适用于研究植物防御机制和进化生物学。