Kleptopharmacophagy: Milkweed butterflies scratch and imbibe from Apocynaceae‐feeding caterpillars

Tea, Yi-Kai; Soong, Jonathan Wei; Beaver, Ethan P.; Lohman, David J.

doi:10.1002/ecy.3532

Cited by 7 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Alternatively, organisms can specifically take up defensive chemicals from plants via pharmacophagy [7][8][9]. For example, adults of some danaine butterfly species actively incorporate defensive chemicals like pyrrolizidine alkaloids from sources such as dried plant parts [10,11]. While these acquired chemicals confer protection on the individual taking them up, it is less well elucidated whether and how this protection can extend to conspecifics that may not have access to these chemicals directly from the source.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The possibility that chemically defended individuals confer protection from predation on initially undefended conspecifics can be realized via different means. Individuals may acquire such defensive chemicals directly from the (plant) source or indirectly via intraspecific [10,12] or interspecific [11,13] interactions. Alternatively, after attacking a chemically defended individual, a predator may not attack even chemically undefended conspecifics of the prey if it associates the phenotype with distastefulness by learned aversion or avoidance [14–16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, the presence of chemically defended individuals in a group can confer protection onto conspecifics that had no direct access to clerodanoids. ( plant) source or indirectly via intraspecific [10,12] or interspecific [11,13] interactions. Alternatively, after attacking a chemically defended individual, a predator may not attack even chemically undefended conspecifics of the prey if it associates the phenotype with distastefulness by learned aversion or…”

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confidence: 99%

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Chemical defense acquired via pharmacophagy can lead to protection from predation for conspecifics in a sawfly

et al. 2022

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Chemical defense is a widespread anti-predator strategy exhibited by organisms, with individuals either synthesizing or extrinsically acquiring defensive chemicals. In some species, such defences can also be transferred among conspecifics. Here, we tested the effects of pharmacophagy on the defense capability of the turnip sawfly, Athalia rosae , which can acquire neo -clerodane diterpenoids (clerodanoids) via pharmacophagy when having access to the plant Ajuga reptans. We show that clerodanoid access mediates protection against predation by mantids for the sawflies, both in a no-choice feeding assay and a microcosm setup. Even indirect access to clerodanoids, via nibbling on conspecifics that had access to the plant, resulted in protection against predation albeit to a lower degree than direct access. Furthermore, sawflies that had no direct access to clerodanoids were consumed less frequently by mantids when they were grouped with conspecifics that had direct access. Most, but not all, of such initially undefended sawflies could acquire clerodanoids from conspecifics that had direct access to the plant, although in low quantities. Together our results demonstrate that clerodanoids serve as a chemical defense that can also be transferred by interactions among conspecifics. Moreover, the presence of chemically defended individuals in a group can confer protection onto conspecifics that had no direct access to clerodanoids.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Chemical defense acquired via pharmacophagy can lead to protection from predation for conspecifics in a sawfly

et al. 2022

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“…This phenomenon is called pharmacophagy (Boppré 1984). Remarkably, such non-nutritive plant metabolites or their derivatives, can also be acquired from other animals, either conspecifics Singh et al 2022) or heterospecifics (Tea et al 2021). The uptake of such non-nutritive plant metabolites can have direct effects on the behaviour of the individuals (Amano et al 1999;Conner et al 2000;Gonzalez et al 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such uptake of non-nutritive plant metabolites can have direct effects on the behaviour of the individuals (Amano et al 1999;Conner et al 2000;Gonzalez et al 1999). Remarkably, such plant metabolites, or further metabolised compounds, can also be acquired from other animals, either conspecifics Singh et al 2022) or heterospecifics (Tea et al 2021). This can impact social interactions, which in turn can influence the fitness of individuals (Formica et al 2012;Royle et al 2012;Silk et al 2003) and thus the individualised social niche (Kaiser et al under revision).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant metabolites modulate animal social networks and lifespan

Singh,

Brueggemann,

Janz

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Social interactions are prevalent in animals, with some individuals participating in more interactions than others. However, the mechanisms underlying this heterogeneity in social interaction frequency and its potential fitness consequences remain poorly characterized. Here, we examine the effects of non-nutritive plant metabolites (‘clerodanoids’) on social networks and lifespan in the turnip sawfly. The adult sawflies facultatively acquire clerodanoids from non-host plant species. We found high variation in clerodanoid amounts in both wild-caught and lab-reared individuals. Furthermore, sawflies could acquire clerodanoids by nibbling on conspecifics that had prior access to these metabolites, with asymmetric clerodanoid access leading to increased agonistic interactions. Network analysis revealed more social interactions in sawfly groups where some or all individuals had prior access to clerodanoids, while groups with no prior access had fewer interactions. The number of social interactions depended on the clerodanoid status of the focal individual and also of other conspecifics. Finally, we observed a shorter lifespan in adults with prior clerodanoid access when paired with individuals without prior access, suggesting that social interactions to obtain clerodanoids have fitness costs. Our findings demonstrate that individual variation in non-nutritional sequestered plant metabolites can skew social interactions, with potential fitness implications that impact individual social niches.

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Baiting Insects with Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids (PAs): A Fieldwork-Oriented Review and Guide to PA-Pharmacophagy

Boppré,

Monzón

2023

Neotrop Entomol

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Since 1890, many observations of danaine butterflies visiting dry plants of several families in the Old and New World tropics have been published. For 50 years, it has been recognised that Danainae, along with various other insects, seek out 1,2-dehydropyrrolizidine ester alkaloids (PAs) independently of and in addition to their nutritive requirements and utilise them to increase their chances for survival and biological fitness. This represents an unusual type of insect-plant relationship (“PA-pharmacophagy”), with remarkable peculiarities but also with gaps in knowledge, many of which can be filled by employing PA-baiting. We review and analyse the history of records on the attraction of adult insects to PAs and unveil the complex background information on PA-chemistry, PA-producing plants (“PA-plants”), and PA-sequestering insects (“PA-insects”) in order to come up with practical tips for successful baiting with PAs (“PA-baiting”). Studying PA-pharmacophagy integrates taxonomy, behaviour, and ecology with evolutionary biology, chemistry, and toxicology. With basic knowledge of PA-chemistry and bearing the general peculiarities of PA-plants and PA-insects in mind, PA-baiting can be conducted easily and successfully to address many questions on the multifaceted ecology of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. We aim to encourage field researchers in the tropics to employ PA-baiting as a valuable research method in this field of integrative biology.

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Kleptopharmacophagy: Milkweed butterflies scratch and imbibe from Apocynaceae‐feeding caterpillars

Cited by 7 publications

References 29 publications

Chemical defense acquired via pharmacophagy can lead to protection from predation for conspecifics in a sawfly

Chemical defense acquired via pharmacophagy can lead to protection from predation for conspecifics in a sawfly

Plant metabolites modulate animal social networks and lifespan

Baiting Insects with Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids (PAs): A Fieldwork-Oriented Review and Guide to PA-Pharmacophagy

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