Neve Driscoll | 2026 I.S. Symposium
Name: Neve Driscoll
Title: Hidden in Plain Sight: Multi-Purpose Defensive Coloration in Papilio polyxenes
Major: Biology
Minor: History
Advisor: Nicholas Brandley
Coloration is an important factor in the defenses of many organisms. However, the effectiveness of defensive colorations is dependent on multiple factors, including the predator鈥檚 vision. This experiment looks at the differences in camouflage between the two phenotypes of the black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) caterpillar, as well as how the caterpillar鈥檚 coloration is viewed by avian predators. This was done by taking photos of caterpillars, which were then analyzed and measured using ImageJ and AcuityView. This experiment found that there were few significant pattern differences between the phenotypes of the caterpillar. With the exception of band width, pattern elements were not found to scale with body size. The patterning of the caterpillar was found through AcuityView analysis to likely be both aposematic and disruptive, as the brightly colored dots and less vibrant bands degraded at different distances, which supports the theory that these caterpillars possess multiple forms of defensive coloration. Further research into these topics could involve focusing on a different caterpillar species, visualization using different prey vision, or testing the simulated results in real predator-prey encounters. I chose this topic due to my interest in how coloration assists in organism survival. The black swallowtail was chosen as the study species due to its unusual coloration and phenotypic plasticity, which is not common in other caterpillars.
Posted in Symposium 2026 on May 1, 2026.
