Effects of simulated highway noise on heart rates of larval monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus: implications for roadside habitat suitability.

ABSTRACT: Developed countries around the world are criss-crossed with vast networks of roadways. Conservationists have recently focused attention on roadsides as possible locations for establishing pollinator habitat, with the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) featuring prominently in such discussions. However, roadsides are inherently loud, which could negatively affect developing larvae. We conducted a series of experiments testing if simulated highway noise stresses monarch larvae, which we gauged by non-destructive monitoring of heart rates. In two replicated experiments, larvae exposed for 2 h experienced a significant increase in heart rate (16 and 17% elevation), indicating they perceive traffic noise as a stressor. Meanwhile, experiments exposing larvae for either 7 or 12 days to continuo

SUBMITTER: Davis AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6012697 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature