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The Role of Wing Pigmentation, UV and Fluorescence as Signals in a Neotropical Damselfly

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Abstract

Pigmentation patterns, ultraviolet reflection and fluorescent emission are often involved in mate recognition and mate quality functions in many animal taxa. We investigated the role of wing ultra-violet reflection, fluorescence emission, and pigmentation on age and sexual signals in the damselfly Mnesarete pudica. In this species, wings are sexually dimorphic in colour and exhibit age dependency: males and females show a smoky black colouration when young, turning red in mature males while it turns brown in females. First, we investigated wing UV patterns through reflectance and emission spectra. Second, behavioural experiments were undertaken to show male and female responses to manipulated wing pigmentation and experimentally reduced UV (UV-). Reflectance spectra of the wings of juvenile and mature males and females were used to show the differences between controls and individuals with manipulated colouration used in the behavioural experiment. UV-reduced, females with wings painted red, and control males and females were tethered and presented to conspecific males and females, and their behavioral responses were recorded. The male red wing pigmentation and females with red wings elicited an aggressive response in territorial males and a sexual response in females. Both males and females showed neutral responses towards individuals with reduced UV. Wing signals of juvenile individuals also provoked neutral responses. These results suggest that UV, together with pigmentation, plays a role during mate recognition in males and females. Other than butterflies and spiders, it seems that fluorescence signals and UV reflectance can also be part of communication in odonates.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge Ana Carolina Vilarinho for field assistance. We thank Gregory Grether for valuable comments on the manuscript. RGF thanks CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de nível Superior) for financial support. MHG thanks FAPESP (São Paulo Research Foundation) for financial support (projects 4617–6 and 8399–9) that allowed buildup of the fluorescence confocal microscope, and Professors Dr Johan Hofkens and Dr Kris P. F. Janssen for the use of the SIS software from MDS Laboratory of Department of Chemistry of Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. EMT and AM thanks to FAPEMIG (Minas Gerais Research Foundation), CAPES, CNPq (National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development) and nanobio/INCT (National Institute of Science and Technology). PCB thanks to FAPESP (04/09711-8; 09/53233-7; 12/21196-8) and to CNPq (477349/2007-2; 301652/2008-2; 30757712011–2) for continuous support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

    Rhainer Guillermo-Ferreira

  2. Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil

    Eralci M. Therézio & Alexandre Marletta

  3. Instituto de Química de São Carlos-Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    Marcelo H. Gehlen

  4. Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Ciências e Letras de Assis, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Assis, SP, Brazil

    Rhainer Guillermo-Ferreira & Pitágoras C. Bispo

  5. Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, LABIA-Laboratório de Biologia Aquática, Faculdade de Ciências e Letras de Assis-UNESP, Av. Dom Antônio, 2100, 19.806-900, Assis, SP, Brazil

    Rhainer Guillermo-Ferreira

  6. Depto. de Matemática, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Campus Rondonópolis, Rondonópolis, MT, Brazil

    Eralci M. Therézio

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  1. Rhainer Guillermo-Ferreira
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  2. Eralci M. Therézio
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  3. Marcelo H. Gehlen
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Correspondence to Rhainer Guillermo-Ferreira.

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Guillermo-Ferreira, R., Therézio, E.M., Gehlen, M.H. et al. The Role of Wing Pigmentation, UV and Fluorescence as Signals in a Neotropical Damselfly. J Insect Behav 27, 67–80 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-013-9406-4

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