ISSN:
1573-1561
Keywords:
Courtship pheromone
;
Utetheisa ornatrix
;
Lepidoptera
;
Arctiidae
;
sexual selection
;
hydroxydanaidal
;
pyrrolizidine alkaloid
;
Crotalaria
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
Notes:
Abstract Hydroxydanaidal, the corematal courtship pheromone of maleUtetheisa ornatrix, shows pronounced quantitative variation in natural populations of the moth. Males that, as larvae, fed on seed-bearing rather than immature food plants (Crotalaria spectabilis orC. mucronata) produce higher levels of hydroxydanaidal. Such males also have higher systemic loads of pyrrolizidine alkaloid, the known metabolic precursor of hydroxydanaidal, whichUtetheisa sequester from their larval diet and which is concentrated in the seeds ofCrotalaria. Males raised on seed-bearing plants also achieve higher adult weight. In the context of sexual selection, therefore, femaleUtetheisa could, through assessment of male hydroxydanaidal levels, gauge both the alkaloid content and body weight of their suitors.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01021785
Permalink
