Antennal responses to floral scents in the
butterflies <Emphasis Type="Italic">Inachis io</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aglais urticae</Emphasis> (Nymphalidae), and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gonepteryx
rhamni</Emphasis> (Pieridae) |
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Authors: | Susanna Andersson |
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Institution: | (1) Max-Planck Institute of Chemical Ecology, Bioorganics, Beutenberg Campus, Winzerlaerstr. 10, D-07745 Jena, Germany, DE |
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Abstract: | Summary. To better understand the biological role of floral scents for
butterflies, electrophysiological responses to floral scents were
investigated using combined gas chromatography and electroantennographic
detection (GC-EAD). The antennal responses of three butterfly species,
Aglais urticae L. (Nymphalidae), Inachis io L. (Nymphalidae), and
Gonepteryx rhamni L. (Pieridae) to floral scent compounds from both
natural and synthetic mixtures were examined. Floral scents were
collected from the butterfly nectar plants Cirsium arvense (L.)
(Asteraceae), and Buddleja davidii Franchet cv. (Loganicaeae) with
dynamic head-space methods on Tenax-GR and eluted with pentane. These
eluates, composed of natural floral scent blends, represent an array of
compounds in their natural state. In the GC-EAD analyses eleven
compounds were identified from C. arvense with the benzenoid compound
phenylacetaldehyde in highest abundance. Seventeen compounds were
identified from B. davidii with the irregular terpene oxoisophorone in
highest abundance. Thirty-nine synthetic floral scent compounds were
mixed in pentane, in equal amounts; about 35 ng were allowed to reach
the antennae. The butterflies showed antennal responses to most of the
floral scent compounds from both natural and synthetic blends except to
the highly volatile monoterpene alkenes. Certain benzenoid compounds
such as phenylacetaldehyde, monoterpenes such as linalool, and irregular
terpenes such as oxoisophorone, were emitted in relatively large amounts
from C. arvense and B. davidii, and elicited the strongest antennal
responses. These compounds also elicited strong antennal responses when
present in the synthetic scent blends. Thus, the butterflies seem to
have many and /or sensitive antennal receptors for these compounds,
which points to their biological importance. Moreover, these compounds
are exclusively of floral scent origin. For B. davidii, which depends
highly on butterflies for pollination, the exclusive floral scent
compounds emitted in high abundance could be the result of an adaptive
pressure to attract butterflies.
Received 2 Septemter 2001; accepted 9 September 2002. |
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Keywords: | , Lepidoptera —, butterfly —, Inachis io —, Aglais urticae —, Gonepteryx rhamni—, floral scent —, GC-MS —, GC-EAD |
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