Oviposition preference maximizes larval survival in the grass-feeding butterfly Melanitis leda (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

Molleman, Freerk; Halali, Sridhar; Kodandaramaiah, Ullasa

doi:10.14411/eje.2020.001

Cited by 11 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…Host plant species is known to influence developmental time up to adult eclosion in satyrines (Kooi et al., 1996; Molleman et al., 2020). Moreover, host plants may differ in physical features that influence pupation substrate choice or pupal colour.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pupal colour–pupation substrate correlation in butterflies

Mayekar,

Kodandaramaiah

2023

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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The pupal colour of many butterflies is plastic, being green or brown depending on the environment in which they develop. In most species with pupal colour plasticity (PCP), larvae that pupate on leaves tend to develop into green pupae whereas those that pupate off‐leaf (e.g., on the stem or soil) tend to become brown. This correlation between background and pupal colour has been hypothesized to protect the butterflies against predation by allowing them to match their background, although experimental evidence is scarce. Furthermore, not all butterflies exhibit PCP, and the extent to which substrate choice influences PCP remains unclear. We use a comparative approach involving multiple, closely related species varying in the degree of PCP to test predictions related to the correlation between pupal colour and pupation substrate. We studied PCP in response to larval density in five common satyrine species (Nymphalidae), two dimorphic and three monomorphic. As predicted, species with monomorphic green pupae preferred to pupate on leaves whereas those with monomorphic brown pupae preferred off‐leaf substrates. In species with dimorphic pupae, pupal colour correlated with pupation substrate. We also predicted that higher larval density induces a greater proportion of off‐leaf pupation in the dimorphic species, but not in the monomorphic species. However, this prediction was not supported. Overall, we found a strong across‐species correlation between pupation substrate choice and pupal colour plasticity, and our results support the idea that pupal colour plasticity can be an adaptation against predation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pupal colour–pupation substrate correlation in butterflies

Mayekar,

Kodandaramaiah

2023

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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“…M. leda is among the most widespread butterflies, distributed from Africa to Asia and Oceania (Latorre 2018). It is able to use a wide variety of grass species (Poaceae) as host plant (Molleman et al 2020b). M. leda displays seasonal phenotypic plasticity where wet- season forms have large and conspicuous eyespots, while dry-season forms have small eyespots (Fig.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The data presented here are based on the rearing of the fourth batch of larvae described in Molleman et al (2020b). In short, female M. leda butterflies were collected in Thiruvananthapuram to provide eggs.…”

Section: Host-plant Experiments Indian Populationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Larval growth rate affects wing shape more than eyespot size in the seasonally polyphenic butterflyMelanitis leda

Molleman,

Moore,

Halali

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Butterflies often show adaptive phenotypic plasticity where environmental cues during early stages are used to produce a phenotype that maximizes fitness in the environment experienced by adults. Many tropical satyrine butterflies (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) are seasonally polyphenic and produce distinct wet- and dry-season form adults providing tight environment-phenotype matching in seasonal environments. Dry-season forms, which are expressed in the dry season, can be induced in the laboratory by growing larvae at low temperatures or on poor food quality. Since both these factors also tend to reduce larval growth rate, larval growth rate may be an internal cue that translates the environmental cues into the expression of phenotypes. If this is the case, we predict that slower-growing larvae would be more likely to develop a dry-season phenotype. To test this hypothesis, we measured both larval growth rate and adult phenotype (eyespot size and wing shape) of individuals of the common evening brown butterfly (Melanitis leda), reared at various temperatures and on various host-plant species. We found that among treatments, larvae with lower growth rates (low temperature, particular host plants) were more likely to develop dry-season phenotypes (small eyespots, falcate wing tips), but within treatments, larval growth rate was mainly linked to wing shape, not eyespot size. These relationships tended to be stronger for males than females as males showed a wider range of eyespot sizes and wing shapes. Overall, only plasticity in wing shape appears to be (partly) mediated by larval growth, and in a sex-specific manner.

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“…Every other day, two leaves were placed in the dish and cut into smaller pieces to occupy as much area as possible. Because caterpillars are sensitive to food quality [ 44 ], we provided only the healthy leaves and avoided the dry or damaged ones. The caterpillars were placed over the leaves or surrounded by them, and every day, the filter paper was moisturized with tap water.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Not Too Warm, Not Too Cold: Thermal Treatments to Slightly Warmer or Colder Conditions from Mother’s Origin Can Enhance Performance of Montane Butterfly Larvae

Zografou

Adamidis

Sewall

et al. 2022

Biology

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Climate change alters organismal performance via shifts in temperature. However, we know little about the relative fitness impacts of climate variability and how cold-adapted ectotherms mediate these effects. Here, we advance the field of climate change biology by directly testing for species performance, considering the effects of different thermal environments at the first developmental stage of larvae. We conducted our experiments in climatic chambers (2019–2020) using five cold-adapted butterflies of the genus Erebia (Erebia aethiops, Erebia cassioides, Erebia manto, Erebia tyndarus, Erebia nivalis). Larvae were reared indoors and were treated with higher and lower temperatures than those of their mothers’ origins. Overall, we found evidence of better performance at warmer temperatures and a decreased performance at lower temperatures, and larvae were able to tolerate small temperature changes from mother’s origin. Warmer conditions, however, were unfavorable for E. nivalis, indicative of its limited elevational range and its poor ability to mediate a variety of thermal conditions. Further, larvae generally performed poorly where there was a large difference in thermal regimen from that of their maternal origin. Future efforts should include additional life history stages and focus on a more mechanistic understanding of species thermal tolerance. Such studies could increase the realism of predicted responses to climate change and could account for asynchronous changes in species development, which will alter community composition and ecosystem functioning.

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Oviposition preference maximizes larval survival in the grass-feeding butterfly Melanitis leda (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

Cited by 11 publications

References 65 publications

Pupal colour–pupation substrate correlation in butterflies

Pupal colour–pupation substrate correlation in butterflies

Larval growth rate affects wing shape more than eyespot size in the seasonally polyphenic butterflyMelanitis leda

Not Too Warm, Not Too Cold: Thermal Treatments to Slightly Warmer or Colder Conditions from Mother’s Origin Can Enhance Performance of Montane Butterfly Larvae

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