Significance of a new field oviposition record for Graphium eurypylus (L.) (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) on Michelia champaca (Magnoliaceae)

Abstract  Phytochemical similarities among ancient Angiosperms presumably played a role in the ecological and evolutionary diversification of the swallowtail butterflies (Papilionidae). Host family feeding specialisation is typical of most Papilionidae species, but field records of oviposition are rare for most swallowtail butterflies. It is even more uncommon to witness oviposition and larval feeding on new host plant species, especially in plant families not previously reported for the butterfly species. Oviposition by a female on a new host, or even on a toxic plant, may represent ancestral behaviour (with a loss of larval acceptance, detoxification or processing abilities) or novel behaviour (providing genetic variation for a potential expansion of host range, or host shift). We document the oviposition, larval use and pupation of the Annonaceae specialised and geographically widespread Graphium eurypylus on a Magnoliaceae species, all under field conditions in Queensland, Australia. This is the first time such field observations of oviposition and larval feeding on Michelia champaca (Magnoliaceae) have been documented anywhere for this species.     

Hybridization leads to host-use divergence in a polyphagous butterfly sibling species pair

Climate warming has lead to increased genetic introgression across a narrow hybrid zone separating the eastern and Canadian tiger swallowtails (Papilio glaucus and Papilio canadensis). This situation has led to the formation of an allochronically separated hybrid population with a delayed emerging phenotype or “late flight”. Here, we assess how the recombination of the parental genomes that lead to this phenotype may have facilitated another major ecological shift, host-use divergence. We first contrast the ovipositional profiles of the late flight population to that of the parental species P. glaucus and P. canadensis. Subsequently we contrast the larval survival and growth of the late flight, a P. canadensis and a P. glaucus population, and a population from the northern edge of the hybrid zone on five hosts. Our results indicate that the ovipositional preference of this hybrid swarm is identical to that of the introgressing parental species, P. glaucus. Due to the absence of the preferred hosts of P. glaucus (Liriodendron tulipifera L. and Ptelea trifoliata L.) where the late flight occurs, this ovipositional pattern implies a functional specialization onto a secondary host of both parental species, Fraxinus americana L. In contrast, the larval host-use abilities represent a mixture of P. glaucus and P. canadensis, indicating divergence in larval host-use abilities has not taken place. However, high genetic variability (genetic coefficient of variation) is present for growth on F. americana in the late flight hybrid swarm and tradeoffs for larval performance on the preferred hosts of the parental species are evident; indicating a strong potential for future specialization in larval host-use abilities. This current scenario represents an instance where a shift in a major ecological trait, host use, is likely occurring as a byproduct of a shift in an unrelated trait (delayed emergence) leading to partial reproductive isolation.     

Species‐dependent microarchitectural traits of iridescent scales in the triad taxa of Ornithoptera birdwing butterflies

Ornithoptera birdwing butterflies have blue, green, or orange iridescent scales in different species or subspecies. To understand the species‐ or subspecies‐dependent scale color differences, we performed comparative morphometric analyses of iridescent scales from three closely related taxa: O. priamus priamus (green), O. priamus urvillianus (blue), and O. croesus (orange). The three types of Ornithoptera wings exhibited reversible color changes to longer wavelengths with different kinetics upon immersion in methanol, suggesting that their color differences are at least partly based on differences in the size of air cavities made by nanostructures. Cover scales of all three color types were visually semi‐transparent glass scales that exhibited color when placed on a dark background. The dorsoventral differences in coloration were observed in single scales, suggesting the optical importance of scale surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy of cover scales in cross section revealed that all color types exhibited finely sculpted tapered ridges and thick, irregular basal multilayers containing tandemly clustered granular objects and air cavities. Scale thickness, ridge height, and multilayer thickness were significantly different among the three color types, and granular object size was significantly different between orange scales and blue and green scales. We conclude that each of the three taxa of Ornithoptera butterflies possesses unique quantitative size values on tapered ridges and irregular multilayers with granular objects and air cavities to express unique structural color. These species‐ or subspecies‐dependent structural colors might have evolved via quantitative shifts in these microarchitectural traits rather than via changes in the basic developmental or architectural plan for color expression.     

The osmaterial glands of the swallowtail butterfly Eurytides marcellus as a defence against natural enemies

ABSTRACT.

• 1 Natural enemies account for almost all mortality of zebra swallowtail caterpillars (Eurytides marcellus [Cramer]) feeding on pawpaw (Asimina spp.) in Florida.
• 2 The osmaterial glands of the third instar caterpillars reduce predation rates in the spring, but not later in the season.
• 3 The seasonal decline in effectiveness of osmateria in deterring natural enemies probably stems from a reduction in the importance of the predators that are repelled by osmateria.

     

Genetic variations and phylogeography of the swallowtail butterfly Papilio machaon on the Japanese Islands

The swallowtail butterfly Papilio machaon Linnaeus, 1758 is widely distributed in the Holarctic region, including all of the main islands of Japan, as well as Sakhalin, and on other smaller islands south to Yakushima Island. The Japanese population is situated at the margin of the Eurasian distribution range of this species. It is morphologically different from other populations and has been classified as the subspecies hippocrates C. & R. Felder, 1864. The population of the Japanese Islands is considered to be genetically distinct from the continental populations in relation to the geographical history of the Japanese Islands. Therefore, we examined a part of the ND5 gene sequence of the mitochondrial DNA for P. machaon individuals of various localities in Japan and some nearby countries, and found 68 haplotypes in 400 individuals from the Japanese Islands and Sakhalin. A DNA polymorphism analysis revealed that the genetic structure of the Hokkaido population was significantly different from that of the southern populations on the main Japanese islands. These results imply that P. machaon expanded its range from the Amur region of Russia southward through Sakhalin to the Japanese Islands, and that the Tsugaru Strait between Hokkaido and Honshu may have subsequently limited their gene flow as a geographical barrier.     

基于COⅠ和Cyt b基因序列的凤蝶科六属分子系统学研究

对凤蝶科6属25种的COⅠ基因和20种Cyt b基因的部分序列进行测定和分析, 探讨它们之间的系统发育关系; 以茶小卷叶蛾Adoxophyes honmai为外群, 用邻接法(neighbor-joining, NJ)、 最大简约法(maximum parsimony, MP)和贝叶斯法(Bayesian inference, BI)重建了凤蝶科6属的分子系统树。结果表明： COⅠ基因部分序列长度为661 bp, 其中保守位点417个, 可变位点244个, 简约信息位点191个; A+T的平均含量为70.3%, 明显高于C+G的平均含量29.6%。Cyt b基因部分序列长度为433 bp, 其中保守位点239个, 可变位点194个, 简约信息位点135个; A+T的平均含量为74.2%, 明显高于C+G的平均含量25.7%。分子系统树表明, 凤蝶属Papilio、 斑凤蝶属Chilasa、 尾凤蝶属Bhutanitis、 珠凤蝶属Pachliopta和喙凤蝶属Teinopalpus为单系性, 与传统形态分类结果相一致。但青凤蝶属Graphium单系性不够明确, 需要进一步探讨。研究结果为我国凤蝶科分子系统学研究积累了资料。     

Histopathological effects of tannins on the midgut epithelium of Papilio polyxenes and Papilio glaucus

The effects of dietary tannin on midgut epithelial structures were compared in two closely related species of swallowtail caterpillars — Papilio polyxenes, a species restricted to the tannin-free Umbelliferae, and P. glaucus, which feeds on tanniniferous tree species in several families. The effects of tannin ingestion were compared in second and fifth instar caterpillars. While large numbers of lesions were found in the guts of P. polyxenes ingesting tannins, only one small lesion was found in any P. glaucus ingesting tannins. No such lesions could be found in larvae of either species raised on tannin-free leaves. The observed histopathological changes, discussed in detail, resemble those previously reported in several species of Lepidoptera in response to a variety of substances and may represent a general degenerative response to the presence of toxins in the gut.

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Résumé L'étude à porté sur les effets de tanins dans l'alimentation sur les structures épithéliales de l'intestin moyen des chenilles de second et cinquième stades, de deux espèces très voisines: Papilio polyxenes-espèce ne consommant que des ombellifères sans tanins-et P. glaucus qui s'alimente sur des arbres contenant des tanins et appartenant à plusieurs familles. Alors qu'après ingestion de tanins, de nombreuses lésions ont été observées sur l'intestin de P. polyxenes, seulement quelques petites lésions ont été trouvées sur l'intestin de P. glaucus. Aucune lésion de même type n'a été observée dans les chenilles de ces espèces élevées sur feuilles sans tanin. Les modifications histopathologiques, discutées en détail, correspondent à la mortalité induite par le tanin due à une septicémie bactérienne et peut représenter une réponse dégénérative à la présence de substances toxiques dans l'intestin.

     

Interspecific differences among swallowtail larvae (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) in susceptibility to aristolochic acids and berberine

Abstract. 1. The larvae of four swallowtail butterfly species, Papilio polyxenes Fabr. in the Papilionini, Parides bunichus (Hübner) and Battus polydamas (L.) in the Troidini, and Eurytides marcellus (Cramer) in the Graphiini, were grown on host leaves to which test compounds had been added.
2. The test chemicals are biosynthetically related. Berberine, a 1-benzyl-tetrahydroisoquinoline-related (1-BTIQ) alkaloid, is found in many rutaceous hosts of the Papilionini; laudanosine, a simpler 1-BTIQ alkaloid, is found in the Papaveraceae, plants on which no papilionids feed; aristolochic acids are found only in the Aristolochiaceae, hosts of the Troidini.
3. Swallowtail larvae can tolerate the compounds characteristic of their host plants, but not chemicals found in the hosts of other papilionid groups. Diets with laudanosine did not affect the test species.
4. Our results support the contention that plant secondary chemicals, such as berberine and aristolochic acids, are important feeding barriers, and are partially responsible for host specificity in swallowtails.     

Effects of tannins on growth and digestion in two species of papilionids

The effects of tannins on growth and digestion were compared in two species of swallow-tail caterpillars — Papillio polyxenes, a specialist on Umbelliferae that normally does not encounter tannins in nature, and P. glaucus, a generalist whose hostplant range includes tanniniferous tree species in several families. In one experiment, tannin extracted from Liriodendron tulipifera, a P. glaucus foodplant, was applied to leaves from hostplants on the two species; tannin in the diet caused greater mortality in P. polyxenes but failed to do so in P. glaucus. In a second experiment, tannins did not affect digestion, growth rate or nitrogen utilization in either species over a 24-hour period. These findings are inconsistent with the proposed mechanism of digestibility reduction by tannins and, moreover, demonstrate that some degree of counteradaptation is possible in coevolved species. Tannins may thus possess toxic properties other than digestibility reduction.

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Résumé La comparaison a porté sur les effets des tanins sur la croissance et la digestion de deux espèces, Papilio polyxenes, spécialiste d'Ombellifères qui ne rencontre pas normalement de tanins dans la nature, et P. glaucus, généraliste dont les plantes hôtes comprennent des espèces d'arbres tanifères de plusieurs familles. Dans une expérience, des feuilles de plantes hôtes des deux espèces ont été traitées par du tanin extrait de Liriodendron tulipifera, consommé par P. glaucus; ce tanin dans l'aliment a provoqué une forte mortalité chez P. polyxenes mais a été sans effet sur P. glaucus. Dans une second expérience, les tanins n'ont pas modifié la digestion, le taux de croissance et l'utilisation d'azote par ces espèces pendant une période de 24 heures. Ces résultats ne concordent pas avec les mécanismes de réduction de la digestibilité envisagés pour les tanins, et, par ailleurs, démontrent qu'un certain degré de contreadaptation est possible chez des espèces ayant coévolué. Les tanins peuvent alors posséder quelques propriétés toxiques différentes de la réduction de la digestibilité.