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Raška J, Chalušová K, Krajiček J, Čabala R, Bosáková Z, Štys P, Exnerová A. Ontogenetic change in effectiveness of chemical defence against different predators in Oxycarenus true bugs. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1050-1064. [PMID: 37428808 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Many prey species change their antipredator defence during ontogeny, which may be connected to different potential predators over the life cycle of the prey. To test this hypothesis, we compared reactions of two predator taxa - spiders and birds - to larvae and adults of two invasive true bug species, Oxycarenus hyalinipennis and Oxycarenus lavaterae (Heteroptera: Oxycarenidae) with life-stage-specific chemical defence mechanisms. The reactions to larvae and adults of both true bug species strikingly differed between the two predator taxa. The spiders were deterred by the defences of adult bugs, but the larval defences were ineffective against them. By contrast, birds attacked the larvae considerably less often than the adult bugs. The results indicate a predator-specific ontogenetic change in defence effectiveness of both Oxycarenus species. The change in defence is likely linked to the life-stage-specific composition of secretions in both species: whereas secretions of larvae are dominated by unsaturated aldehydes, secretions of adults are rich in terpenoids, which probably serve dual function of defensive chemicals and pheromones. Our results highlight the variation in defence between different life stages and the importance of testing responses of different types of predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Raška
- Department of Zoology, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Kateřina Chalušová
- Department of Zoology, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Krajiček
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Radomír Čabala
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Bosáková
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Štys
- Department of Zoology, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Alice Exnerová
- Department of Zoology, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
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Sculfort O, McClure M, Nay B, Elias M, Llaurens V. Assessing the Role of Developmental and Environmental Factors in Chemical Defence Variation in Heliconiini Butterflies. J Chem Ecol 2021; 47:577-587. [PMID: 34003420 PMCID: PMC8217024 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-021-01278-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Chemical defences in animals are both incredibly widespread and highly diverse. Yet despite the important role they play in mediating interactions between predators and prey, extensive differences in the amounts and types of chemical compounds can exist between individuals, even within species and populations. Here we investigate the potential role of environment and development on the chemical defences of warningly coloured butterfly species from the tribe Heliconiini, which can both synthesize and sequester cyanogenic glycosides (CGs). We reared 5 Heliconiini species in captivity, each on a single species-specific host plant as larvae, and compared them to individuals collected in the wild to ascertain whether the variation in CG content observed in the field might be the result of differences in host plant availability. Three of these species were reared as larvae on the same host plant, Passiflora riparia, to further test how species, sex, and age affected the type and amount of different defensive CGs, and how they affected the ratio of synthesized to sequestered compounds. Then, focusing on the generalist species Heliconius numata, we specifically explored variation in chemical profiles as a result of the host plant consumed by caterpillars and their brood line, using rearing experiments carried out on two naturally co-occurring host plants with differing CG profiles. Our results show significant differences in both the amount of synthesized and sequestered compounds between butterflies reared in captivity and those collected in the field. We also found a significant effect of species and an effect of sex in some, but not all, species. We show that chemical defences in H. numata continue to increase throughout their life, likely because of continued biosynthesis, and we suggest that variation in the amount of synthesized CGs in this species does not appear to stem from larval host plants, although this warrants further study. Interestingly, we detected a significant effect of brood lines, consistent with heritability influencing CG concentrations in H. numata. Altogether, our results point to multiple factors resulting in chemical defence variation in Heliconiini butterflies and highlight the overlooked effect of synthesis capabilities, which may be genetically determined to some extent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ombeline Sculfort
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne-Université, EPHE, Université Des Antilles, 45 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France. .,Unité Molécules de Communication Et Adaptations Des Micro-Organismes (MCAM), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, 57 rue Cuvier (BP 54), 75005, Paris, France. .,Laboratoire Écologie, Évolution, Interactions Des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, 97300, Cayenne, France.
| | - Melanie McClure
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne-Université, EPHE, Université Des Antilles, 45 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.,Laboratoire Écologie, Évolution, Interactions Des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, 97300, Cayenne, France
| | - Bastien Nay
- Unité Molécules de Communication Et Adaptations Des Micro-Organismes (MCAM), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, 57 rue Cuvier (BP 54), 75005, Paris, France.,Laboratoire de Synthèse Organique, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, ENSTA, Route de Saclay, 91128, Palaiseau Cedex, France
| | - Marianne Elias
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne-Université, EPHE, Université Des Antilles, 45 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Violaine Llaurens
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne-Université, EPHE, Université Des Antilles, 45 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
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White TE, Umbers KDL. Meta-analytic evidence for quantitative honesty in aposematic signals. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210679. [PMID: 33906408 PMCID: PMC8080005 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The combined use of noxious chemical defences and conspicuous warning colours is a ubiquitous anti-predator strategy. That such signals advertise the presence of defences is inherent to their function, but their predicted potential for quantitative honesty-the positive scaling of signal salience with the strength of protection-is the subject of enduring debate. Here, we systematically synthesized the available evidence to test this prediction using meta-analysis. We found evidence for a positive correlation between warning colour expression and the extent of chemical defences across taxa. Notably, this relationship held at all scales; among individuals, populations and species, though substantial between-study heterogeneity remains unexplained. Consideration of the design of signals revealed that all visual features, from colour to contrast, were equally informative of the extent of prey defence. Our results affirm a central prediction of honesty-based models of signal function and narrow the scope of possible mechanisms shaping the evolution of aposematism. They suggest diverse pathways to the encoding and exchange of information, while highlighting the need for deeper knowledge of the ecology of chemical defences to enrich our understanding of this widespread anti-predator adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E. White
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2106, Australia
| | - Kate D. L. Umbers
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales 2751, Australia
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales 2751, Australia
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Sculfort O, de Castro ECP, Kozak KM, Bak S, Elias M, Nay B, Llaurens V. Variation of chemical compounds in wild Heliconiini reveals ecological factors involved in the evolution of chemical defenses in mimetic butterflies. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:2677-2694. [PMID: 32185010 PMCID: PMC7069300 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary convergence of color pattern in mimetic species is tightly linked with the evolution of chemical defenses. Yet, the evolutionary forces involved in natural variations of chemical defenses in aposematic species are still understudied. Herein, we focus on the evolution of chemical defenses in the butterfly tribe Heliconiini. These neotropical butterflies contain large concentrations of cyanogenic glucosides, cyanide-releasing compounds acting as predator deterrent. These compounds are either de novo synthesized or sequestered from their Passiflora host plant, so that their concentrations may depend on host plant specialization and host plant availability. We sampled 375 wild Heliconiini butterflies across Central and South America, covering 43% species of this clade, and quantify individual variations in the different CGs using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. We detected new compounds and important variations in chemical defenses both within and among species. Based on the most recent and well-studied phylogeny of Heliconiini, we show that ecological factors such as mimetic interactions and host plant specialization have a significant association with chemical profiles, but these effects are largely explained by phylogenetic relationships. Our results therefore suggest that shared ancestries largely contribute to chemical defense variation, pointing out at the interaction between historical and ecological factors in the evolution of Müllerian mimicry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ombeline Sculfort
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB)Muséum National d'Histoire NaturelleCNRSSorbonne‐UniversitéEPHEUniversité des AntillesParisFrance
- Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptations des Micro‐organismes (MCAM)Muséum National d'Histoire NaturelleCNRSParisFrance
| | | | | | - Søren Bak
- Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenFrederiksbergDenmark
| | - Marianne Elias
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB)Muséum National d'Histoire NaturelleCNRSSorbonne‐UniversitéEPHEUniversité des AntillesParisFrance
| | - Bastien Nay
- Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptations des Micro‐organismes (MCAM)Muséum National d'Histoire NaturelleCNRSParisFrance
- Laboratoire de Synthèse OrganiqueEcole PolytechniqueCNRSENSTAInstitut Polytechnique de ParisPalaiseau CedexFrance
| | - Violaine Llaurens
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB)Muséum National d'Histoire NaturelleCNRSSorbonne‐UniversitéEPHEUniversité des AntillesParisFrance
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Rößler DC, Lötters S, Mappes J, Valkonen JK, Menin M, Lima AP, Pröhl H. Sole coloration as an unusual aposematic signal in a Neotropical toad. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1128. [PMID: 30718568 PMCID: PMC6362010 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37705-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals have evolved remarkable strategies to avoid predation. In diurnal, toxic harlequin toads (Atelopus) from the Amazon basin, we find a unique colour signal. Some Atelopus populations have striking red soles of the hands and feet, visible only when walking. When stationary, the toads are hard to detect despite their yellow-black dorsal coloration. Consequently, they switch between high and low conspicuousness. Interestingly, some populations lack the extra colour display of the soles. We found comprehensive support that the red coloration can act as an aposematic signal directed towards potential predators: red soles are significantly more conspicuous than soles lacking red coloration to avian predators and the presence of the red signal significantly increases detection. Further, toads with red soles show bolder behaviour by using higher sites in the vegetation than those lacking this signal. Field experiments hint at a lower attack risk for clay models with red soles than for those lacking the signal, in a population where the red soles naturally occur. We suggest that the absence of the signal may be explained by a higher overall attack risk or potential differences of predator community structure between populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela C Rößler
- Department of Biogeography, Trier University, Universitätsring 15, 54296, Trier, Germany.
| | - Stefan Lötters
- Department of Biogeography, Trier University, Universitätsring 15, 54296, Trier, Germany
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Janne K Valkonen
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Marcelo Menin
- Department of Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Amazonas Federal University, Av. General Rodrigo Otávio Jordão Ramos 3000, 69077-000, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Albertina P Lima
- Coordenação de Pesquisas em Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Av. André Araujo 2936, 69011-970, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Heike Pröhl
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559, Hannover, Germany
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Briolat ES, Zagrobelny M, Olsen CE, Blount JD, Stevens M. No evidence of quantitative signal honesty across species of aposematic burnet moths (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae). J Evol Biol 2018; 32:31-48. [PMID: 30317689 PMCID: PMC6378400 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Many defended species use conspicuous visual warning signals to deter potential predators from attacking. Traditional theory holds that these signals should converge on similar forms, yet variation in visual traits and the levels of defensive chemicals is common, both within and between species. It is currently unclear how the strength of signals and potency of defences might be related: conflicting theories suggest that aposematic signals should be quantitatively honest, or, in contrast, that investment in one component should be prioritized over the other, while empirical tests have yielded contrasting results. Here, we advance this debate by examining the relationship between defensive chemicals and signal properties in a family of aposematic Lepidoptera, accounting for phylogenetic relationships and quantifying coloration from the perspective of relevant predators. We test for correlations between toxin levels and measures of wing colour across 14 species of day‐flying burnet and forester moths (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae), protected by highly aversive cyanogenic glucosides, and find no clear evidence of quantitative signal honesty. Significant relationships between toxin levels and coloration vary between sexes and sampling years, and several trends run contrary to expectations for signal honesty. Although toxin concentration is positively correlated with increasing luminance contrast in forewing pattern in 1 year, higher toxin levels are also associated with paler and less chromatically salient markings, at least in females, in another year. Our study also serves to highlight important factors, including sex‐specific trends and seasonal variation, that should be accounted for in future work on signal honesty in aposematic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle S Briolat
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Mika Zagrobelny
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carl E Olsen
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jonathan D Blount
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
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