1
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Ottocento C, Rojas B, Burdfield-Steel E, Furlanetto M, Nokelainen O, Winters S, Mappes J. Diet influences resource allocation in chemical defence but not melanin synthesis in an aposematic moth. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb245946. [PMID: 38179687 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
For animals that synthesise their chemical compounds de novo, resources, particularly proteins, can influence investment in chemical defences and nitrogen-based wing colouration such as melanin. Competing for the same resources often leads to trade-offs in resource allocation. We manipulated protein availability in the larval diet of the wood tiger moth, Arctia plantaginis, to test how early life resource availability influences relevant life history traits, melanin production and chemical defences. We expected higher dietary protein to result in more effective chemical defences in adult moths and a higher amount of melanin in the wings. According to the resource allocation hypothesis, we also expected individuals with less melanin to have more resources to allocate to chemical defences. We found that protein-deprived moths had a slower larval development, and their chemical defences were less unpalatable for bird predators, but the expression of melanin in their wings did not differ from that of moths raised on a high-protein diet. The amount of melanin in the wings, however, unexpectedly correlated positively with chemical defences. Our findings demonstrate that the resources available in early life have an important role in the efficacy of chemical defences, but melanin-based warning colours are less sensitive to resource variability than other fitness-related traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Ottocento
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Viikinkaari 1, PO Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
- University of Jyväskylä, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, PO Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- University of Jyväskylä, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, PO Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Emily Burdfield-Steel
- University of Amsterdam, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Miriam Furlanetto
- University of Jyväskylä, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, PO Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Ossi Nokelainen
- University of Jyväskylä, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, PO Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
- Open Science Centre, PO Box 35, 40014University of Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Sandra Winters
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Viikinkaari 1, PO Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Viikinkaari 1, PO Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
- University of Jyväskylä, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, PO Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
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2
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Zamolo F, Wüst M. 3-Alkyl-2-Methoxypyrazines: Overview of Their Occurrence, Biosynthesis and Distribution in Edible Plants. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300362. [PMID: 37435783 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Pyrazines are ubiquitous in nature - biosynthesized by microorganisms, insects, and plants. Due to their great structural diversity, they own manifold biological functions. Alkyl- and alkoxypyrazines for instance play a key role as semiochemicals, but also as important aroma compounds in foods. Especially 3-alkyl-2-methoxypyrazines (MPs) have been of great research interest. MPs are associated with green and earthy attributes. They are responsible for the distinctive aroma properties of numerous vegetables. Moreover, they have a strong influence on the aroma of wines, in which they are primarily grape-derived. Over the years various methods have been developed and implemented to analyse the distribution of MPs in plants. In addition, the biosynthetic pathway of MPs has always been of particular interest. Different pathways and precursors have been proposed and controversially discussed in the literature. While the identification of genes encoding O-methyltransferases gave important insights into the last step of MP-biosynthesis, earlier biosynthetic steps and precursors remained unknown. It was not until 2022 that in vivo feeding experiments with stable isotope labeled compounds revealed l-leucine and l-serine as important precursors for IBMP. This discovery gave evidence for a metabolic interface between the MP-biosynthesis and photorespiration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Zamolo
- University of Bonn, Institute of Nutritional and Food Sciences Chair of Food Chemistry, Friedrich-Hirzebruch-Allee 7, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Matthias Wüst
- University of Bonn, Institute of Nutritional and Food Sciences Chair of Food Chemistry, Friedrich-Hirzebruch-Allee 7, 53115, Bonn, Germany
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3
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Exnerová A, Kang C, Rowland HM, Kikuchi DW. Evolution of multiple prey defences: From predator cognition to community ecology. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:961-966. [PMID: 37449469 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Exnerová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Changku Kang
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hannah M Rowland
- Max Planck Research Group Predators and Toxic Prey, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - David W Kikuchi
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
- Evolutionary Biology, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
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4
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López S, Rodrigo-Gómez S, Fernández-Carrillo E, Corbella-Martorell C, Quero C. Laboratory Evidence of 2-Isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine as a Male-Released Aggregative Cue in Labidostomis lusitanica (Germar) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Insects 2023; 14:107. [PMID: 36835676 PMCID: PMC9967067 DOI: 10.3390/insects14020107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
In spite of its incidence on pistachio trees, the chemical ecology of Labidostomis lusitanica (Germar) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) has been neglected so far. In this work, we provide the first evidence of a biologically active male-specific compound that may be promoting field aggregation. Headspace collections through solid-phase microextraction from feral males and females reported the presence of 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine exclusively in males. Electroantennographic recordings revealed that males and females responded in a dose-dependent manner to increasing stimuli of 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, with females overall displaying a higher response than males. In dual-choice tests, both males and females showed a significant preference for the compound in comparison to a pure air stimulus. In light of these results, the possible role of 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine as an aggregation cue in L. lusitanica is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio López
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Rodrigo-Gómez
- Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal (IRIAF)-Centro de Investigación Agroambiental “El Chaparrillo”, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Enrique Fernández-Carrillo
- Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal (IRIAF)-Centro de Investigación Agroambiental “El Chaparrillo”, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Clàudia Corbella-Martorell
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carmen Quero
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
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5
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Ottocento C, Winters AE, Rojas B, Mappes J, Burdfield‐Steel E. Not just the sum of its parts: Geographic variation and nonadditive effects of pyrazines in the chemical defence of an aposematic moth. J Evol Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Ottocento
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Anne E. Winters
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
- College Life and Environmental Sciences, Penryn Campus University of Exeter Penryn UK
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Emily Burdfield‐Steel
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
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6
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Mattila ALK, Jiggins CD, Saastamoinen M. Condition dependence in biosynthesized chemical defenses of an aposematic and mimetic
Heliconius
butterfly. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9041. [PMID: 35784031 PMCID: PMC9227709 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Aposematic animals advertise their toxicity or unpalatability with bright warning coloration. However, acquiring and maintaining chemical defenses can be energetically costly, and consequent associations with other important traits could shape chemical defense evolution. Here, we have tested whether chemical defenses are involved in energetic trade‐offs with other traits, or whether the levels of chemical defenses are condition dependent, by studying associations between biosynthesized cyanogenic toxicity and a suite of key life‐history and fitness traits in a Heliconius butterfly under a controlled laboratory setting. Heliconius butterflies are well known for the diversity of their warning color patterns and widespread mimicry and can both sequester the cyanogenic glucosides of their Passiflora host plants and biosynthesize these toxins de novo. We find energetically costly life‐history traits to be either unassociated or to show a general positive association with biosynthesized cyanogenic toxicity. More toxic individuals developed faster and had higher mass as adults and a tendency for increased lifespan and fecundity. These results thus indicate that toxicity level of adult butterflies may be dependent on individual condition, influenced by genetic background or earlier conditions, with maternal effects as one strong candidate mechanism. Additionally, toxicity was higher in older individuals, consistent with previous studies indicating accumulation of toxins with age. As toxicity level at death was independent of lifespan, cyanogenic glucoside compounds may have been recycled to release resources relevant for longevity in these long‐living butterflies. Understanding the origins and maintenance of variation in defenses is necessary in building a more complete picture of factors shaping the evolution of aposematic and mimetic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anniina L. K. Mattila
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- HiLIFE – Helsinki Institute of Life Science University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS) University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | | | - Marjo Saastamoinen
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- HiLIFE – Helsinki Institute of Life Science University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
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7
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Nokelainen O, de Moraes Rezende F, Valkonen JK, Mappes J. Context-dependent coloration of prey and predator decision making in contrasting light environments. Behav Ecol 2021; 33:77-86. [PMID: 35197807 PMCID: PMC8857938 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
A big question in behavioral ecology is what drives diversity of color signals. One possible explanation is that environmental conditions, such as light environment, may alter visual signaling of prey, which could affect predator decision-making. Here, we tested the context-dependent predator selection on prey coloration. In the first experiment, we tested detectability of artificial visual stimuli to blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) by manipulating stimulus luminance and chromatic context of the background. We expected the presence of the chromatic context to facilitate faster target detection. As expected, blue tits found targets on chromatic yellow background faster than on achromatic grey background whereas in the latter, targets were found with smaller contrast differences to the background. In the second experiment, we tested the effect of two light environments on the survival of aposematic, color polymorphic wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis). As luminance contrast should be more detectable than chromatic contrast in low light intensities, we expected birds, if they find the moths aversive, to avoid the white morph which is more conspicuous than the yellow morph in low light (and vice versa in bright light). Alternatively, birds may attack first moths that are more detectable. We found birds to attack yellow moths first in low light conditions, whereas white moths were attacked first more frequently in bright light conditions. Our results show that light environments affect predator foraging decisions, which may facilitate context-dependent selection on visual signals and diversity of prey phenotypes in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ossi Nokelainen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Francisko de Moraes Rezende
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Janne K Valkonen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikki Biocenter 3, Helsinki, Finland
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8
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Abstract
Aposematic organisms warn predators of their unprofitability using a combination of defenses, including visual warning signals, startling sounds, noxious odors, or aversive tastes. Using multiple lines of defense can help prey avoid predators by stimulating multiple senses and/or by acting at different stages of predation. We tested the efficacy of three lines of defense (color, smell, taste) during the predation sequence of aposematic wood tiger moths (Arctia plantaginis) using blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) predators. Moths with two hindwing phenotypes (genotypes: WW/Wy = white, yy = yellow) were manipulated to have defense fluid with aversive smell (methoxypyrazines), body tissues with aversive taste (pyrrolizidine alkaloids) or both. In early predation stages, moth color and smell had additive effects on bird approach latency and dropping the prey, with the strongest effect for moths of the white morph with defense fluids. Pyrrolizidine alkaloid sequestration was detrimental in early attack stages, suggesting a trade-off between pyrrolizidine alkaloid sequestration and investment in other defenses. In addition, pyrrolizidine alkaloid taste alone did not deter bird predators. Birds could only effectively discriminate toxic moths from non-toxic moths when neck fluids containing methoxypyrazines were present, at which point they abandoned attack at the consumption stage. As a result, moths of the white morph with an aversive methoxypyrazine smell and moths in the treatment with both chemical defenses had the greatest chance of survival. We suggest that methoxypyrazines act as context setting signals for warning colors and as attention alerting or “go-slow” signals for distasteful toxins, thereby mediating the relationship between warning signal and toxicity. Furthermore, we found that moths that were heterozygous for hindwing coloration had more effective defense fluids compared to other genotypes in terms of delaying approach and reducing the latency to drop the moth, suggesting a genetic link between coloration and defense that could help to explain the color polymorphism. Conclusively, these results indicate that color, smell, and taste constitute a multimodal warning signal that impedes predator attack and improves prey survival. This work highlights the importance of understanding the separate roles of color, smell and taste through the predation sequence and also within-species variation in chemical defenses.
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9
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Gordon SP, Burdfield-Steel E, Kirvesoja J, Mappes J. Safety in Numbers: How Color Morph Frequency Affects Predation Risk in an Aposematic Moth. Am Nat 2021; 198:128-141. [PMID: 34143722 DOI: 10.1086/714528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPolymorphic warning signals in aposematic systems are enigmatic because predator learning should favor the most common form, creating positive frequency-dependent survival. However, many populations exhibit variation in warning signals. There are various selective mechanisms that can counter positive frequency-dependent selection and lead to temporal or spatial warning signal diversification. Examining these mechanisms and their effects requires first confirming whether the most common morphs are favored at both local and regional scales. Empirical examples of this are uncommon and often include potentially confounding factors, such as a lack of knowledge of predator identity and behavior. We tested how bird behavior influences the survival of three coexisting morphs of the aposematic wood tiger moth Arctia plantaginis offered to a sympatric predator (great tit Parus major) at different frequencies. We found that although positive frequency-dependent selection is present, its strength is affected by predator characteristics and varying prey profitability. These results highlight the need to understand predator foraging in natural communities with variable prey defenses in order to better examine how behavioral interactions shape evolutionary outcomes.
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10
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Mattila ALK, Jiggins CD, Opedal ØH, Montejo-Kovacevich G, Pinheiro de Castro ÉC, McMillan WO, Bacquet C, Saastamoinen M. Evolutionary and ecological processes influencing chemical defense variation in an aposematic and mimetic Heliconius butterfly. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11523. [PMID: 34178447 PMCID: PMC8216171 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemical defences against predators underlie the evolution of aposematic coloration and mimicry, which are classic examples of adaptive evolution. Surprisingly little is known about the roles of ecological and evolutionary processes maintaining defence variation, and how they may feedback to shape the evolutionary dynamics of species. Cyanogenic Heliconius butterflies exhibit diverse warning color patterns and mimicry, thus providing a useful framework for investigating these questions. We studied intraspecific variation in de novo biosynthesized cyanogenic toxicity and its potential ecological and evolutionary sources in wild populations of Heliconius erato along environmental gradients, in common-garden broods and with feeding treatments. Our results demonstrate substantial intraspecific variation, including detectable variation among broods reared in a common garden. The latter estimate suggests considerable evolutionary potential in this trait, although predicting the response to selection is likely complicated due to the observed skewed distribution of toxicity values and the signatures of maternal contributions to the inheritance of toxicity. Larval diet contributed little to toxicity variation. Furthermore, toxicity profiles were similar along steep rainfall and altitudinal gradients, providing little evidence for these factors explaining variation in biosynthesized toxicity in natural populations. In contrast, there were striking differences in the chemical profiles of H. erato from geographically distant populations, implying potential local adaptation in the acquisition mechanisms and levels of defensive compounds. The results highlight the extensive variation and potential for adaptive evolution in defense traits for aposematic and mimetic species, which may contribute to the high diversity often found in these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anniina L K Mattila
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Helsinki Life Science Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Current affiliation: Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Chris D Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Marjo Saastamoinen
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Helsinki Life Science Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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11
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Rönkä K, Valkonen JK, Nokelainen O, Rojas B, Gordon S, Burdfield‐Steel E, Mappes J. Geographic mosaic of selection by avian predators on hindwing warning colour in a polymorphic aposematic moth. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1654-1663. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Katja Rönkä
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Life SciencesUniversity of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Janne K. Valkonen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Ossi Nokelainen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Swanne Gordon
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
- Department of Biology Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis MO USA
| | - Emily Burdfield‐Steel
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
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12
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González-Rojas MF, Darragh K, Robles J, Linares M, Schulz S, McMillan WO, Jiggins CD, Pardo-Diaz C, Salazar C. Chemical signals act as the main reproductive barrier between sister and mimetic Heliconius butterflies. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200587. [PMID: 32370676 PMCID: PMC7282924 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Colour pattern is the main trait that drives mate recognition between Heliconius species that are phylogenetically close. However, when this cue is compromised such as in cases of mimetic, sympatric and closely related species, alternative mating signals must evolve to ensure reproductive isolation and species integrity. The closely related species Heliconius melpomene malleti and H. timareta florencia occur in the same geographical region, and despite being co-mimics, they display strong reproductive isolation. In order to test which cues differ between species, and potentially contribute to reproductive isolation, we quantified differences in the wing phenotype and the male chemical profile. As expected, the wing colour pattern was indistinguishable between the two species, while the chemical profile of the androconial and genital males' extracts showed marked differences. We then conducted behavioural experiments to study the importance of these signals in mate recognition by females. In agreement with our previous results, we found that chemical blends and not wing colour pattern drive the preference of females for conspecific males. Also, experiments with hybrid males and females suggested an important genetic component for both chemical production and preference. Altogether, these results suggest that chemicals are the major reproductive barrier opposing gene flow between these two sister and co-mimic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- M F González-Rojas
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota 111221, Colombia
| | - K Darragh
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - J Robles
- Department of Chemistry, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia
| | - M Linares
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota 111221, Colombia
| | - S Schulz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - C D Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - C Pardo-Diaz
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota 111221, Colombia
| | - C Salazar
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota 111221, Colombia
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13
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Darragh K, Montejo‐Kovacevich G, Kozak KM, Morrison CR, Figueiredo CME, Ready JS, Salazar C, Linares M, Byers KJRP, Merrill RM, McMillan WO, Schulz S, Jiggins CD. Species specificity and intraspecific variation in the chemical profiles of Heliconius butterflies across a large geographic range. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:3895-3918. [PMID: 32489619 PMCID: PMC7244815 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In many animals, mate choice is important for the maintenance of reproductive isolation between species. Traits important for mate choice and behavioral isolation are predicted to be under strong stabilizing selection within species; however, such traits can also exhibit variation at the population level driven by neutral and adaptive evolutionary processes. Here, we describe patterns of divergence among androconial and genital chemical profiles at inter- and intraspecific levels in mimetic Heliconius butterflies. Most variation in chemical bouquets was found between species, but there were also quantitative differences at the population level. We found a strong correlation between interspecific chemical and genetic divergence, but this correlation varied in intraspecific comparisons. We identified "indicator" compounds characteristic of particular species that included compounds already known to elicit a behavioral response, suggesting an approach for identification of candidate compounds for future behavioral studies in novel systems. Overall, the strong signal of species identity suggests a role for these compounds in species recognition, but with additional potentially neutral variation at the population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathy Darragh
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityPanama
| | | | | | - Colin R. Morrison
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityPanama
- Department of Integrative BiologyThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTXUSA
| | | | - Jonathan S. Ready
- Institute for Biological SciencesUniversidade Federal do ParáBelémBrazil
| | - Camilo Salazar
- Biology ProgramFaculty of Natural Sciences and MathematicsUniversidad del RosarioBogotaColombia
| | - Mauricio Linares
- Biology ProgramFaculty of Natural Sciences and MathematicsUniversidad del RosarioBogotaColombia
| | - Kelsey J. R. P. Byers
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityPanama
| | - Richard M. Merrill
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityPanama
- Division of Evolutionary BiologyFaculty of BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐Universität MünchenMunichGermany
| | | | - Stefan Schulz
- Institute of Organic ChemistryTechnische Universität BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
| | - Chris D. Jiggins
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityPanama
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Abstract
AbstractInsects live in a dangerous world and may fall prey to a wide variety of predators, encompassing multiple taxa. As a result, selection may favour defences that are effective against multiple predator types, or target-specific defences that can reduce predation risk from particular groups of predators. Given the variation in sensory systems and hunting tactics, in particular between vertebrate and invertebrate predators, it is not always clear whether defences, such as chemical defences, that are effective against one group will be so against another. Despite this, the majority of research to date has focused on the role of a single predator species when considering the evolution of defended prey. Here we test the effectiveness of the chemical defences of the wood tiger moth, a species previously shown to have defensive chemicals targeted towards ants, against a common invertebrate predator: spiders. We presented both live moths and artificial prey containing their defensive fluids to female Trichonephila senegalensis and recorded their reactions. We found that neither of the moth’s two defensive fluids were able to repel the spiders, and confirmed that methoxypyrazines, a major component of the defences of both the wood tiger moth and many insect species, are ineffective against web-building spiders. Our results highlight the variability between predator taxa in their susceptibility to chemical defences, which can in part explain the vast variation in these chemicals seen in insects, and the existence of multiple defences in a single species.
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Rojas B, Mappes J, Burdfield-steel E. Multiple modalities in insect warning displays have additive effects against wild avian predators. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019; 73. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2643-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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16
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Burdfield-Steel E, Brain M, Rojas B, Mappes J. The price of safety: food deprivation in early life influences the efficacy of chemical defence in an aposematic moth. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Burdfield-Steel
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Dept of Biological and Environmental Science; PO Box 35 FI-40014 Univ. of Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Morgan Brain
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Dept of Biological and Environmental Science; PO Box 35 FI-40014 Univ. of Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Dept of Biological and Environmental Science; PO Box 35 FI-40014 Univ. of Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Dept of Biological and Environmental Science; PO Box 35 FI-40014 Univ. of Jyväskylä Finland
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17
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Rojas B, Burdfield-Steel E, De Pasqual C, Gordon S, Hernández L, Mappes J, Nokelainen O, Rönkä K, Lindstedt C. Multimodal Aposematic Signals and Their Emerging Role in Mate Attraction. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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18
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Rönkä K, Mappes J, Michalis C, Kiviö R, Salokannas J, Rojas B. Can multiple-model mimicry explain warning signal polymorphism in the wood tiger moth, Arctia plantaginis (Lepidoptera: Erebidae)? Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K Rönkä
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, FI, Finland
| | - J Mappes
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, FI, Finland
| | - C Michalis
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - R Kiviö
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, FI, Finland
| | - J Salokannas
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, FI, Finland
| | - B Rojas
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, FI, Finland
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