Abstract
The plantHeliotropium indicum L. (Boraginaceae) contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids. When dried, it is a powerful attractant for male ithomiine and danaine butterflies, which congregate and feed at its dead shoots. The butterflies use alkaloids derived from the plants for the formation of chemicals with pheromone/allomone activity. Baiting with alkaloids and “esterifying acids,” which form a part of the alkaloid molecules, indicates that a volatile product derived from the esterifying acids attracts males to the plants, where intact alkaloids then act as phagostimulants.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beebe, W. 1955. Two little-known selective insect attractants.Zoologica N. Y. 40:27–32.
Brower, L.P., Brower, J.V.Z., andCranston, F.P. 1965. Courtship behavior of the queen butterfly,Danaus gilippus berenice (Cramer).Zoologica N.Y. 50:1–39.
Bull, L.B., Culvenor, C.C.J., andDick, A.T. 1968. The Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids. North-Holland Publishing Co., Amsterdam. 293 pp.
Common, I.F.B., andWaterhouse, D.F. 1972. Butterflies of Australia. Angus and Robertson, Sydney. 498 pp.
Edgar, J.A. 1976. Danainae (Lep.) and 1,2-dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloid-containing plants—with reference to observations made in the New Hebrides.Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London Ser. B. In press.
Edgar, J.A., andCulvenor, C.C.J. 1975. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids inParsonsia species (family Apocynaceae) which attract Danaid butterflies.Experientia 31:393, 394.
Edgar, J.A., Culvenor, C.C.J., andPliske, T.E. 1974. Co-evolution of Danaid butterflies with their host plants.Nature 250:646–648.
Edgar, J.A., Culvenor, C.C.J., andPliske, T.E. 1976. Isolation of a lactone, structurally related to the esterifying acids of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, from the costal fringes of male Ithomiinae.J. Chem. Ecol. 2(3): 263–270.
Edgar, J.A., Culvenor, C.C.J., andRobinson, G.S. 1973. Hairpencil dihydropyrrolizines of Danainae from the New Hebrides.J. Aust. Entomol. Soc. 12:144–150.
Edgar, J.A., Culvenor, C.C.J., andSmith, L.W. 1971. Dihydropyrrolizine derivatives in the “hair-pencil” secretion of danaid butterflies.Experientia 27:761, 762.
Meinwald, J., Boriack, C.J., Schneider, D., Boppré, M., Wood, W.F., andEisner, T. 1974. Volatile ketones in the hairpencil secretion of danaid butterflies (Amauris andDanaus).Experientia 30:721–723.
Meinwald, J., Meinwald, Y.C., andMazzocchi, P.H. 1969. Sex pheromone of the queen butterfly: Chemistry.Science 164:1174, 1175.
Meinwald, J., Meinwald, Y.C., Wheeler, J.W., Eisner, T., andBrower, L.P. 1966. Major components in the exocrine secretion of a male butterfly (Lycorea).Science 151:583–585.
Meinwald, J.,Thompson, W.R.,Eisner, T., andOwen, D.F. 1971. Pheromones. VII. African monarch: major components of the hairpencil secretion.Tetrahedron Lett. 3485–3488.
Pliske, T.E. 1975a. Attraction of Lepidoptera to plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids.Environ. Entomol. 4:455–473.
Pliske, T.E. 1975b. Courtship behavior and use of chemical communication by males of certain species of ithomiine butterflies.Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 68:935–942.
Pliske, T.E., andEisner, T. 1969. Sex pheromone of the queen butterfly: Biology.Science 154:1170–1172.
Pliske, T.E., andSalpeter, M.M. 1971. The structure and development of the hairpencil glands in males of the Queen butterfly,Danaus gilippus berenice.J. Morphol. 134:215–242.
Schneider, D., Boppré, M., Schneider, H., Thompson, W.R., Boriack, C.J., Petty, R.L., andMeinwald, J. 1975. A pheromone precursor and its uptake in maleDanaus butterflies.J. Comp. Physiol. 97:245–256.
Seibt, U., Schneider, D., andEisner, T. 1972. Duftpinsel, Flügeltaschen und Balz des TagfaltersDanaus chrysippus (Lepidoptera: Danaidae).Z. Tierpsychol. 31:513–530.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pliske, T.E., Edgar, J.A. & Culvenor, C.C.J. The chemical basis of attraction of ithomiine butterflies to plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids. J Chem Ecol 2, 255–262 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00988275
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00988275