Gilbert LE. Butterfly-Plant Coevolution: Has Passiflora adenopoda Won the Selectional Race with Heliconiine Butterflies?
Science 1971;
172:585-6. [PMID:
17802223 DOI:
10.1126/science.172.3983.585]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Hooklike trichomes of Passiflora adenopoda provide a specific, effectively absolute defense against heliconiine butterfly larvae, a major class of Passiflora herbivores. It is suggested that since mechanical defenses are usually more selective in their action against herbivores, they usually are evolved by a plant only after it has accumulated a series of chemical defenses.
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