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Male-specific Iridescent Coloration in the Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) is Used in Mate Choice by Females but not Sexual Discrimination by Males

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Abstract

We investigated the potential roles in behavioral interactions of sexually dichromatic iridescent blue coloration found on the dorsal hindwing of male Pipevine Swallowtails (Battus philenor). Behavioral experiments in a large enclosure addressed whether male dorsal hindwing coloration mediated sexual recognition by males, female choice of mates, or both. Models presented to males in the enclosure produced responses that show that males discriminate females from other males using chemical but not visual cues. In contrast, ablation of male dorsal iridescence significantly reduced male mating success with virgin females in the enclosure. The results support the hypothesis that male-specific iridescent coloration in this species is a signal that is important for females in assessing either male species identity or quality in intersexual interactions.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Kim Pegram, Melissa Lillo, Hanh Han, and Tyler Mello for their assistance in rearing and field work; and especially the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, Arizona, for generously allowing us to use the butterfly pavilion for these and other experiments. Financial support for this work came from Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid-of-Research (to PR), the School of Life Sciences Undergraduate Research program at ASU, the National Science Foundation (IOS 1145654 to RLR), and the Undergraduate Science Education Program of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

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  1. School of Life Sciences, Arizona, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-4501, USA

    Ronald L. Rutowski & Parth K. Rajyaguru

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  1. Ronald L. Rutowski
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  2. Parth K. Rajyaguru
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Correspondence to Ronald L. Rutowski.

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Rutowski, R.L., Rajyaguru, P.K. Male-specific Iridescent Coloration in the Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) is Used in Mate Choice by Females but not Sexual Discrimination by Males. J Insect Behav 26, 200–211 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-012-9348-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-012-9348-2

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