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Responses of butterflies to visual and olfactory signals of flowers of the bush lily Clivia miniata

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Abstract

Experimental studies of the use of visual and olfactory cues by flower-visiting animals can shed light on the evolution of floral signalling traits. We examined the functional significance of floral traits in Clivia miniata (Amaryllidaceae). This forest lily with large orange trumpet-shaped flowers is pollinated mainly by swallowtail butterflies and belongs to a lineage with ancestral bird pollination. We used C. miniata flowers varying in colour, orientation and scent, and arrays of artificial flowers varying in colour, pattern, orientation, size, shape, and scent to assess foraging preferences of the butterflies that pollinate C. miniata. Butterflies preferred orange over yellow colour morphs of C. miniata and preferred red and orange model flowers over yellow ones. Orange models with a central yellow target ‘nectar guide’ were favoured over plain orange models. Butterflies also favoured large over small model flowers and preferred to alight on upward-facing flowers. Addition of scent compounds emitted by C. miniata flowers increased butterfly visitation to model and natural flowers. These results identify the importance of particular combinations of visual and olfactory signals for attraction of swallowtail butterflies and shed light on the floral modifications associated with a shift from bird to butterfly pollination.

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Acknowledgements

We thank KZN Wildlife and Mbona Private Nature Reserve for permission to work in their Reserves. This study was funded by the National Research Foundation (Grant 46372 to SDJ) and the Gay Langmuir Bursary for Wildlife research (IK).

Funding

This study was funded by the South African National Research Foundation (Grant 46372 to SDJ) and the Gay Langmuir Bursary for Wildlife research (IK).

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  1. Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, P. Bag X01, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa

    Ian Kiepiel & Steven D. Johnson

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  1. Ian Kiepiel
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Correspondence to Ian Kiepiel.

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Supplementary file1 (EPS 4170 KB)

Fig. S1. Behavioural responses of Papilio ophidicephalus to two C. miniata-shaped model choices, differing only in size; plain orange versus plain orange reduced size (one-third scale) models. Bioassays conducted at the MPNR site in October 2010. Observations (n = 23) recorded over 4 full days, and over 10 unique time blocks. Approaches; n = 18 (brushes; n = 2, alights; n = 3).

Supplementary file2 (EPS 87888 KB)

Fig. S2. Behavioural responses of five butterfly species (Nepheronia argia, Papilio echerioides echerioides, P. euphranor, P. nireus lyaeus, and P. ophidicephalus) to two model flower arrays consisting of two distinct floral forms, representing two Clivia species; plain orange C. gardenii-shaped models versus plain orange C. miniata-shaped models. Experimental arrays conducted at the MPNR site in October 2010. Observations (n = 25) recorded over five full days, and over 13 unique time blocks. Approaches; n = 20 (brushes; n = 4, alights; n = 1).

Supplementary file3 (EPS 46048 KB)

Fig. S3. Behavioural responses of six butterfly species, across two sites, to model flower arrays consisting of two C. miniata-shaped choices (both orange with yellow target models); unscented (paraffin control) versus scent supplemented. Experimental arrays conducted at the MPNR site in 2010 and the UNR site in 2014. MPNR observations (n = 181) recorded over 6 full days, and over 18 unique time blocks. Approaches; n = 138, brushes; n = 29, alights; n = 14. UNR observations (n = 272) recorded over 4 full days, over 54 time blocks. Approaches; n = 186; brushes; n = 46, alights; n = 40.

Supplementary file4 (DOCX 245797 KB)

Fig. S4. Behavioural responses of Papilio dardanus cena and P. nireus lyaeus to two real flower arrays consisting of C. miniata flowers in their normal upright orientation versus C. miniata flowers manipulated into a pendulous orientation. Experimental arrays conducted at the UNR site in the flowering season of 2014. Observations (n = 326) recorded over 5 full days, and over 53 unique time blocks. Approaches; n = 185, brushes; n = 103, alights; n = 38

Supplementary file5 (EPS 49 KB)

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Kiepiel, I., Johnson, S.D. Responses of butterflies to visual and olfactory signals of flowers of the bush lily Clivia miniata. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 15, 253–263 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-021-09813-9

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