Reproductive status modulates colour preference and multimodal cue integration in host plant location by butterflies.

ABSTRACT: Butterflies utilize visual, odour and tactile cues, individually or in combination, to navigate their surroundings and make decisions. The effectiveness of these cues varies based on distance and context. Colour is a crucial visual cue across multiple behavioural contexts, including when searching for oviposition sites. We investigated the multimodal integration of information and its modulation of colour preference in the common emigrant butterfly, Catopsilia pomona. Specifically, we tested their preference towards green colour in different scenarios including during the phase in which they are expected to prioritize finding host plants for oviposition. We offered virgin and mated females and males a choice of four colours including green. We show that mated females prefer green but only

SUBMITTER: Anaswara KS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12669839 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature