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Spectrum of Cyanide Toxicity and Allocation in Heliconius erato and Passiflora Host Plants

Journal of Chemical Ecology volume 33, pages 319–329 (2007)Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 05 April 2008

Abstract

The larvae of three races of Heliconius erato were fed various species of Passiflora containing varying levels of cyanoglucosides. The mortality rate of larvae and pupae rose when larvae were fed species of Passiflora capable of releasing larger quantities of cyanide. When larvae were fed species of Passiflora with these properties, the resulting adult butterflies also released higher levels of cyanide. This may serve as a defense mechanism. The compounds responsible for the release of cyanide were not evenly distributed throughout the adult butterfly’s body. The thorax contained the highest concentration of cyanogenic substances, followed by the head, wings, and abdomen. The younger tissues of Passiflora plants had higher levels of cyanide-releasing compounds than stems and mature leaves. Cyanogenic glycoside distribution within the plants is consistent with optimal allocation theory. The levels of cyanide-releasing substances in plants varied depending on the season.

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Acknowledgements

This study constitutes part of a University of Florida doctoral dissertation. MMHR thanks the following for help and encouragement: T. C. Emmel, F. Slansky, H. McAuslane, and D. Jones as members of my committee; C. Jiggins and M. Beltran for hospitality while in Panama; the Delores A. Auzenne Graduate Scholars Fellowship, the James & Margaret Gahan Scholarship, and the John A. Mülrennan Senior Scholarship at the University of Florida for financial support; Butterfly World; and the Association of Tropical Lepidoptera for travel grants to Tingo Maria, Huanuco, Peru, and Panama. We thank the Instituto de Recursos Naturales, Ministerio de Agricultura, Peru; the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama; and the United States Department of Agriculture for collecting, exporting, and importing permits.

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  1. Mirian Medina Hay-Roe

    Present address: McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 112710, Gainesville, FL, 32611-2710, USA

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  1. Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110650, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0650, USA

    Mirian Medina Hay-Roe & James Nation

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  1. Mirian Medina Hay-Roe
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  2. James Nation
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Correspondence to Mirian Medina Hay-Roe.

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An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10886-008-9465-8.

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Hay-Roe, M.M., Nation, J. Spectrum of Cyanide Toxicity and Allocation in Heliconius erato and Passiflora Host Plants. J Chem Ecol 33, 319–329 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-006-9234-5

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Keywords

  • Heliconius erato cyrbia
  • Heliconius erato favorinus
  • Heliconius erato demophoon
  • Passiflora
  • Cyanogenic glycosides
  • β-glucosidase
  • Cyanide
  • Ecuador
  • Peru
  • Panama