Summary
Euploea core is a long lived butterfly which lays a few relatively large eggs each day. In such a species it is unlikely that reserves of carbohydrate and amino acid accumulated during the larval instars would be sufficient to last its entire adult life. Female E. core were kept in a large flight cage and assigned to one of four treatments. Each treatment comprised a different concentration of sugar and amino acid in the adult diet of the butterflies. Individuals with 25% sugar in their diet lived for longer and attained higher fecundities than those with 1% sugar in their diet. Butterflies on the 1% sugar diet removed greater volumes of food solution than those on the 25% sugar diet. The availability of amino acids in the adult diet had no marked effect on longevity and, if anything, had a negative effect on fecundity. The composition of the adult diet had no discernable effect on egg weight in this species. Sugar is shown to be an important component of the adult diet of E. core but their requirement for amino acids in their adult diet remains unresolved. Finally, using the known volume of food solution removed each day, estimates were made of the minimum amount of energy required by this species each day and the amount of energy required to produce an egg.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen JC (1976) A modified sine wave for calculating degree days. Environ Ent 5:388–396
Baker HG, Baker I (1973a) Amino-acids in nectar and their evolutionary significance. Nature 241:543–545
Baker HG, Baker I (1973b) Some anthecological aspects of the evolution of nectar-producing flowers, particularly amino-acid production. In: Heywood VH (ed) Taxonomy and Ecology. Academic Press, London
Blau WS (1981) Life history variation in the black swallowtail butterfly. Oecologia 48:116–122
Boggs CL, Gilbert LE (1979) Male contribution to egg production in butterflies: evidence for transfer of nutrients at mating. Science 206:83–84
Chaplin SB, Wells PH (1982) Energy reserves and metabolic expenditure of Monarch butterflies overwintering in southern California. Ecol Entomol 7:249–256
David WAL, Gardiner BOC (1961) Feeding behaviour of the adults of Pieris brassicae in laboratory culture. Bull Ent Res 52:741–762
David WAL, Gardiner BOC (1962) Oviposition and the hatching of the eggs of Pieris brassicae in a laboratory culture. Bull Ent Res 53:91–109
Dunlap-Pianka H, Boggs CL, Gilbert LE (1977) Ovarian dynamics in heliconiine butterflies: programmed senescence versus eternal youth. Science 197:487–490
Gilbert LE (1972) Pollen feeding and reproductive biology of Heliconius butterflies. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 69:1403–1407
Gilbert N (1984) Control of fecundity in Pieris rapae 1. The problem. J Anim Ecol 53:581–588
Gossard TW, Jones RE (1977) The effects of age and weather on egg laying in Pieris rapae L. J Appl Ecol 14:65–71
Haukioja E, Neuvonen S (1985) The relationship between size and reproductive potential in male and female Epirrita autumnata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). Ecol Entomol 10:267–270
Heinrich B (1975) Energetics of pollination. Ann Rev Ecol Syst 6:139–170
Hill CJ, Pierce NE (1989) The effect of adult diet on the biology of butterflies 1. The Common Imperial Blue, Jalmenus evagoras. Oecologia 81:249–257
Johansson AS (1964) Feeding and nutrition in reproductive processes in insects. In: Highnam K (ed) Insect Reproduction. Symp. Roy. Entomol. Soc. No. 2. London. Royal Entomological Society, London, pp 43–55
Kingsolver JG, Daniel TL (1979) On the mechanics and energetics of nectar feeding in butterflies. J Theor Biol 76:167–179
Kitching RL (1977) Time, resources and population dynamics in insects. Aust J Ecol 2:31–42
Kitching RL, Zalucki MP (1981) Observations on the ecology of Euploea core corinna (Nymphalidae) with special reference to an overwintering population. J Lepid Soc 35:106–119
Leather SR (1984) The effect of adult feeding on the fecundity, weight loss and survival of the pine beauty moth, Panolis flammea (D&S). Oecologia 65:70–74
Monteith GB (1982) Dry season aggregations of insects in Australian monsoon forests. Mem Queensl Mus 20:533–543
Moore RA, Singer MC (1987) Effects of maternal age and adult diet on egg weight in the butterfly Euphydryas editha. Oecologia 56:257–263
Murphy DD, Launer AE, Ehrlich PR (1983) The role of adult feeding in egg production and population dynamics of the checkerspot butterfly Euphydryas editha. Oecologia 56:257–263
Norris MJ (1934) Contributions towards the study of insect fertility. III. Adult nutrition, fecundity, and longevity in the genus Ephestia (Lepidoptera, Phycitidae). Proc Zool Soc Lond, pp 333–360
Norris MJ (1935) A feeding experiment on the adults of Pieris rapae. Entomol 68:125–127
Orr AG (1980) A study of the overwintering ecology of Euploea core corinna (W.S. Macleay) in south-east Queensland. Honours Thesis, Griffith University, Australia
Paton DC (1982) The diet of the New Holland honeyeater, Phylidonyris novaehollandiae. Aust J Zool 7:279–298
Scheermeyer E (1985) Some factors affecting the distribution of Euploea core corinna (W.S. Macleay) (Lepidoptera: Danainae). Aust J Zool 33:339–348
Stern VM, Smith RF (1960) Factors affecting egg production and oviposition in populations of Colias eurytheme Boisduval (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). Hilgardia 29:411–454
Weiss-Fogh T (1970) Metabolism and weight economy in migrating animals, particularly birds and insects. In: Beament JWL, Trehern JE (eds) Insects and physiology, Oliver and Boyd, London, pp 143–159
Zalucki MP (1981) The effects of age and weather on egg laying in Danaus plexippus L. (Lepidoptera: Danaidae). Res Pop Ecol 23:318–327
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hill, C.J. The effect of adult diet on the biology of butterflies. Oecologia 81, 258–266 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00379813
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00379813