Exploitation of an ancestral pheromone biosynthetic pathway contributes to diversification in Heliconius butterflies.

ABSTRACT: During courtship, male butterflies of many species produce androconial secretions containing male sex pheromones (MSPs) that communicate species identity and affect female choice. MSPs are thus likely candidates as reproductive barriers, yet their role in speciation remains poorly studied. Although Heliconius butterflies are a model system in speciation, their MSPs have not been investigated from a macroevolutionary perspective. We use GC/MS to characterize male androconial secretions in 33 of the 69 species in the Heliconiini tribe. We found these blends to be species-specific, consistent with a role in reproductive isolation. We detected a burst in blend diversification rate at the most speciose genus, Heliconius; a consequence of Heliconius and Eueides specie

SUBMITTER: Cama B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9326301 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature