Here we provide the R code from the paper: Vidal-García, M., O'Hanlon, J.C., Svenson, G.J, Umbers, K.D.L. (in press) The evolution of defensive displays in praying mantises. Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

If you have any questions about the code or analyses you can contact Marta Vidal-Garcia at [email protected]

Anti-predator defences are typically regarded as relatively static signals that conceal prey or advertise their unprofitability. However, startle displays are complex performances that deter or confuse predators and can include a spectacular array of movements, colours and sounds. Yet, we do not fully understand the mechanisms by which they function, their evolutionary correlates, or the conditions under which they are performed and evolve. Here, we present, to our knowledge, the first phylogenetically controlled comparative analyses of startle displays including behavioural data, using praying mantises as a model system.We included 58 species that provide a good representation of mantis diversity and estimated the strength of phylogenetic signal in the presence and complexity of displays. We also tested hypotheses on potential evolutionary correlates, including primary defences and body size. We found that startle displays and morphological traits were phylogenetically conserved, whereas behavioural traits were highly labile. Surprisingly, body size was not correlated with display presence or complexity in phylogenetically controlled analyses. Species-rich clades were more likely to exhibit displays, suggesting that startle displays were probably involved in lineage diversification. We suggest that to further elucidate the conditions under which startle displays evolve, future work should include quantitative descriptions of multiple display components, habitat type, and predatorcommunities. Understanding the evolution of startle displays is critical to our overall understanding of the theory behind predator–prey dynamics.

If you use the R code in this repository, please cite our paper Vidal-García, M., O'Hanlon, J.C., Svenson, G.J, Umbers, K.D.L. (in press) The evolution of defensive displays in praying mantises. Proceedings of the Royal Society B and all the relevant R packages and repositories. Thank you!