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The arms race between heliconiine butterflies and Passiflora plants - new insights on an ancient subject
Biological Reviews ( IF 10.0 ) Pub Date : 2017-09-13 , DOI: 10.1111/brv.12357
Érika C. P. de Castro 1 , Mika Zagrobelny 1 , Márcio Z. Cardoso 2 , Søren Bak 1
Affiliation  

Heliconiines are called passion vine butterflies because they feed exclusively on Passiflora plants during the larval stage. Many features of Passiflora and heliconiines indicate that they have radiated and speciated in association with each other, and therefore this model system was one of the first examples used to exemplify coevolution theory. Three major adaptations of Passiflora plants supported arguments in favour of their coevolution with heliconiines: unusual variation of leaf shape within the genus; the occurrence of yellow structures mimicking heliconiine eggs; and their extensive diversity of defence compounds called cyanogenic glucosides. However, the protection systems of Passiflora plants go beyond these three features. Trichomes, mimicry of pathogen infection through variegation, and production of extrafloral nectar to attract ants and other predators of their herbivores, are morphological defences reported in this plant genus. Moreover, Passiflora plants are well protected chemically, not only by cyanogenic glucosides, but also by other compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins and phenolics. Heliconiines can synthesize cyanogenic glucosides themselves, and their ability to handle these compounds was probably one of the most crucial adaptations that allowed the ancestor of these butterflies to feed on Passiflora plants. Indeed, it has been shown that Heliconius larvae can sequester cyanogenic glucosides and alkaloids from their host plants and utilize them for their own benefit. Recently, it was discovered that Heliconius adults have highly accurate visual and chemosensory systems, and the expansion of brain structures that can process such information allows them to memorize shapes and display elaborate pre‐oviposition behaviour in order to defeat visual barriers evolved by Passiflora species. Even though the heliconiine–Passiflora model system has been intensively studied, the forces driving host‐plant preference in these butterflies remain unclear. New studies have shown that host‐plant preference seems to be genetically controlled, but in many species there is some plasticity in this choice and preferences can even be induced. Although much knowledge regarding the coevolution of Passiflora plants and heliconiine butterflies has accumulated in recent decades, there remain many exciting unanswered questions concerning this model system.

中文翻译:

heliconiine 蝴蝶和西番莲植物之间的军备竞赛——对一个古老主题的新见解

Heliconiines 被称为西番莲蝴蝶,因为它们在幼虫阶段专门以西番莲植物为食。Passiflora 和 heliconiines 的许多特征表明它们相互辐射和形成物种,因此该模型系统是用于例证共同进化理论的首批例子之一。西番莲植物的三个主要适应性支持支持它们与 heliconiines 共同进化的论点:该属内叶片形状的异常变化;模拟螺旋藻卵的黄色结构的出现;以及它们广泛多样的防御化合物,称为氰糖苷。然而,西番莲植物的保护系统超出了这三个特征。毛状体,通过杂色模拟病原体感染,和生产花外花蜜以吸引蚂蚁和其他食草动物的食肉动物,是该植物属中报道的形态防御。此外,西番莲植物在化学上得到了很好的保护,不仅受到生氰糖苷的保护,还受到其他化合物的保护,如生物碱、黄酮类化合物、皂苷、单宁和酚类物质。Heliconiines 本身可以合成氰苷,它们处理这些化合物的能力可能是最重要的适应性之一,使这些蝴蝶的祖先能够以西番莲植物为食。事实上,已经表明 Heliconius 幼虫可以从寄主植物中隔离生氰糖苷和生物碱,并将它们用于自身利益。最近,人们发现 Heliconius 成虫具有高度准确的视觉和化学感应系统,可以处理这些信息的大脑结构的扩展使它们能够记住形状并展示复杂的产卵前行为,以克服西番莲物种进化的视觉障碍。尽管已经对 heliconiine-Passiflora 模型系统进行了深入研究,但在这些蝴蝶中驱动寄主植物偏好的力量仍不清楚。新的研究表明,寄主植物的偏好似乎受遗传控制,但在许多物种中,这种选择具有一定的可塑性,甚至可以诱导偏好。尽管近几十年来积累了许多关于西番莲植物和螺旋蝴蝶共同进化的知识,但关于这个模型系统仍有许多令人兴奋的未解决的问题。
更新日期:2017-09-13
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