Pyrazines as warning odour components in the Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus, and in moths of the genera Zygaena and Amata (Lepidoptera)

Rothschild, Miriam; Moore, B. P.; Brown, W. V.

doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.1984.tb00153.x

Cited by 117 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 7 publications

(3 reference statements)

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“…However, in this experiment, the delay between pecking the colour and its profitability was almost instantaneous. One proposed mechanism for this effect is that the sound alerts the animal to pay more attention to the visual stimulus, and thus the association with the delayed punishment would be made more readily (Rothschild et al 1984). Hultsch et al (1999) highlighted the potential importance of the role of attention in signal learning by showing that a synchronous flashing light was sufficient to enhance song learning in nightingales (Luscinia megarhynchos).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, aposematic insects that produce sounds could improve birds' abilities to learn their colour patterns, thus enhancing their survival prospects (Claridge 1974). This intersensory interaction could be more general and work between other sensory modalities, and it is possible that odours that are produced after attack will also enhance colour discrimination learning (Rothschild et al 1984).…”

Section: Proc R Soc Lond B (2002)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Claridge (1974), and later Rothschild et al (1984), proposed that sounds and odours could promote the association between the colour pattern of the prey and its unpalatability, thus avian predators would learn to avoid aposematic prey more quickly. Kaye et al (1989) showed that pyrazine odour could enhance the association between visual environmental cues and water palatability in rats (Rattus norvegicus).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sound improves visual discrimination learning in avian predators

Rowe

2002

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

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Aposematic insects use warning colours to deter predators, but many also produce odours or sounds when attacked by a predator. One possible role for these additional components is that they promote the association between the warning colour and the non-profitability it signals, thus reducing the chance of future attacks from visually hunting predators. This experiment explicitly tests this idea by looking at the effects of sound on a visual discrimination task. Young domestic chicks were trained to look for food rewards under coloured paper cones scattered in an experimental arena. In a subsequent visual discrimination task, they learned to discriminate between rewarded and non-rewarded hats on the basis of colour. Half the chicks performed this task in silence, whilst the other half had a tone played when they attacked non-rewarded hats. The presence of the tone improved the speed of colour discrimination learning. This demonstrates that there could be a selective advantage for aposematic coloured insects to emit sounds when attacked, since avian predators will learn to avoid their coloration more quickly. The role of psychological interactions between signal components in receivers is discussed in relation to the evolution of multimodal displays.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Proc R Soc Lond B (2002)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sound improves visual discrimination learning in avian predators

Rowe

2002

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

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“…Alkyl-substituted pyrazines are known to serve as trail-laying pheromones 98 or alarm pheromes 99 in some ants. In Lepidoptera, 2-methoxy-3-alkylpyrazines ( Figure 6, 21) were found in several taxa of aposematic butterflies and moths, and sometimes in their larval host plants 100,101 . These substances potentiate the rejection response of rats and chickens when they drink an unpalatable quinine-water solution 96,102,103 .…”

Section: Pyrazinesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The chemistry of antipredator defense by secondary compounds in neotropical lepidoptera: facts, perspectives and caveats

Trigo

2000

J. Braz. Chem. Soc.

102

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Defesas químicas em lepidópteros contra predadores têm sido observadas desde o século XIX. O caso clássico de proteção química contra predadores é o da borboleta monarca, Danaus plexippus, cuja larva seqüestra cardenolidas de sua planta hospedeira Asclepias curassavica e transfere-as para os adultos tornando-os impalatáveis para pássaros. Entretanto diversas outras substâncias podem estar envolvidas na proteção química de lepidópteros neotropicais (glicosídeos iridóides, glicosídeos cianogênicos, glicosinolatos, alcalóides pirrolizidínicos e tropânicos, ácidos aristolóquicos, inibidores de glicosidase, pirazinas). Esses compostos podem ser seqüestrados da planta hospedeira larval, obtidos de fontes vegetais visitadas por adultos ou biossintetizados de novo. Os lepidópteros conhecidos como impalatáveis para predadores vertebrados e/ou invertebrados são as borboletas Troidini (Papilionidae), Pierinae (Pieridae), Eurytelinae, Melitaeinae, Danainae, Ithomiinae, Heliconiinae e Acraeinae (Nymphalidae) e mariposas Arctiidae. Entretanto informações sobre as substâncias que são responsáveis pela impalatabilidade e como elas são adquiridas nem sempre são obtidas. Esse artigo de revisão aborda principalmente observações de campo e laboratório sobre a rejeição de borboletas e mariposas neotropicais por predadores, correlações entre impalatabilidade e substâncias químicas encontradas nos insetos e bioensaios que demonstrem a atividade dessas substâncias contra predadores. Perspectivas são sugeridas para esses tópicos.Chemical defense against predation in butterflies and moths has been studied since nineteenth century. A classical example is that of the larvae of the monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus, which feed on leaves of Asclepias curassavica (Asclepiadaceae), sequestering cardenolides. The adults are protected against predation by birds. Several other substances may be involved in chemical defense, such as iridoid glycosides, cyanogenic glycosides, glucosinolates, pyrrolizidine and tropane alkaloids, aristolochic acids, glycosidase inhibitors and pyrazines. The acquisition of these substances by lepidopterans can be due to sequestration from larval or adult host plants or de novo biosynthesis. Many Lepidoptera are known to be unpalatable, including the butterflies Troidini (Papilionidae), Pierinae (Pieridae), Eurytelinae, Melitaeinae, Danainae, Ithomiinae, Heliconiinae and Acraeinae (Nymphalidae), and Arctiidae moths, but knowledge of the chemical substances responsible for property is often scarce. This review discusses mainly three topics: field and laboratory observations on rejection of butterflies and moths by predators, correlation between unpalatability and chemicals found in these insects, and bioassays that test the activity of these chemicals against predators. Perspectives and future directions are suggested for this subject.

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“…It was thought that these additional signal components acted to enhance the speed of association between coloration and unpalatability (Claridge 1974;Rothschild et al 1984), but while there is some evidence that sounds may improve colour discrimination learning (Rowe 2002), there is no evidence that odours do so (Rowe & Guilford 1996;Rowe 1998; but see Roper & Marples 1997a for data showing an interaction between colour and odour in a learning experiment). However, the presentation of a novel sound or odour consistently causes naïve foraging chicks to bias their behaviour against food with visual traits associated with aposematism, such as food that is conspicuous, red or yellow, or novel (Marples & Roper 1996;Rowe & Guilford 1996, 1999aJetz et al 2001;Lindström et al 2001).…”

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confidence: 99%

Colour biases are a question of taste

Rowe

Stachurski

2005

Animal Behaviour

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Unpalatable insects often advertise their defences to avian predators by conspicuous colours, such as red and yellow. Therefore, perhaps not surprisingly, birds tend to have unlearned biases against warningly coloured food. These biases are particularly evident when other components of insect warning displays, such as novel sounds and odours, are also present. We tested whether bitter taste, often associated with the defensive chemicals used by aposematic insects, can elicit or enhance specific colour aversions to red and yellow food in young domestic chicks, Gallus gallus domesticus. In our first experiment, subjects were given familiar brown chick crumbs sprayed with either a 0, 1, or 4% quinine solution. In each palatability treatment, chicks were then offered a choice of palatable crumbs that were coloured either red and green or yellow and green. Chicks attacked (pecked or ate) fewer red and yellow crumbs and more green crumbs with increasing quinine concentrations. Chicks also ate fewer red and yellow crumbs with increasing unpalatability, although there was no effect on the numbers of green crumbs eaten. In a second experiment, we gave chicks a colourless drop of either 0 or 0.3% quinine solution and found that this also produced similar attack biases against red and yellow as is in the first experiment. Taken together, these results show that birds use unpalatable taste to adapt their visual foraging decisions, which has consequences for the evolution and stability of mimicry systems, and also has implications for the pairing of colour and taste in psychological experiments.

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Pyrazines as warning odour components in the Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus, and in moths of the genera Zygaena and Amata (Lepidoptera)

Cited by 117 publications

References 7 publications

Sound improves visual discrimination learning in avian predators

Sound improves visual discrimination learning in avian predators

The chemistry of antipredator defense by secondary compounds in neotropical lepidoptera: facts, perspectives and caveats

Colour biases are a question of taste

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