Condition dependence in biosynthesized chemical defenses of an aposematic and mimetic Heliconius butterfly.

ABSTRACT: Aposematic animals advertise their toxicity or unpalatability with bright warning coloration. However, acquiring and maintaining chemical defenses can be energetically costly, and consequent associations with other important traits could shape chemical defense evolution. Here, we have tested whether chemical defenses are involved in energetic trade-offs with other traits, or whether the levels of chemical defenses are condition dependent, by studying associations between biosynthesized cyanogenic toxicity and a suite of key life-history and fitness traits in a Heliconius butterfly under a controlled laboratory setting. Heliconius butterflies are well known for the diversity of their warning color patterns and widespread mimicry and can both sequester the cyanogenic glucosides

SUBMITTER: Mattila ALK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9227709 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature