Territorial-like defensive behavior of floral resources by Heliconius ethilla narcaea Godart over H. sara apseudes (Hübner) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae)

Rocha, Carlos Frederico Duarte da; Duarte, Marcelo

doi:10.1590/S0101-81752001000500027

Abstract

The use of nectar and pollen of a bromeliad by two heliconiine butterflies, Heliconius ethilla narcaea Godart, 1819 and H. sara apseudes (Hübner, [1813]) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae), is herein reported. Observations were made during a pollination study of Aechmea gracilis Lindman (Bromeliaceae, Bromelioidea) in a second-growth forest of the village Vila Dois Rios, Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro State, southeastern Brazil. Field observations showed that H. ethilla can be more aggressive than H. sara in exploiting A. gracilis floral resources. Temporal differences in the use of these resources were also observed: H. sara remained comparatively less time on flowers than H. ethilla.

Lepidoptera; Heliconius; pollination; Aechmea gracilis; competition; home range

Territorial-like defensive behavior of floral resources by Heliconius ethilla narcaea Godart over H. sara apseudes (Hübner) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae)

Carlos Frederico Duarte da Rocha^I; Marcelo Duarte^II,III

^IDepartamento de Biologia Animal e Vegetal, Setor de Ecologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rua São Francisco Xavier 524, 20559-900 Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. E-mail: cfdrocha@uerj.br

^IIDepartamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná. Caixa Postal 19020, 81531-990 Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil. CNPq fellowship. E-mail: lycaenidae@ig.com.br

^IIIContribution number 1227 of the Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do

Paraná.

ABSTRACT

The use of nectar and pollen of a bromeliad by two heliconiine butterflies, Heliconius ethilla narcaea Godart, 1819 and H. sara apseudes (Hübner, [1813]) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae), is herein reported. Observations were made during a pollination study of Aechmea gracilis Lindman (Bromeliaceae, Bromelioidea) in a second-growth forest of the village Vila Dois Rios, Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro State, southeastern Brazil. Field observations showed that H. ethilla can be more aggressive than H. sara in exploiting A. gracilis floral resources. Temporal differences in the use of these resources were also observed: H. sara remained comparatively less time on flowers than H. ethilla.

Key words: Lepidoptera, Heliconius, pollination, Aechmea gracilis, competition, home range.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. This study is part of the "Programa de Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo de Ecossistemas do Sudeste Brasileiro" of the Setor de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. We thank the Coordination of the CEADS/UERJ, the Direction of Campi Regionais, and the administrative coordination for local support and many facilities available. We thank the Sub-Reitoria de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa (SR-2/UERJ) for institutional support and for providing facilities along the study. We are also grateful to Andre V. L. Freitas, Astrid Caldas, Carla Penz, Gerardo Lamas, Helena G. Bergallo, Mathieu Joron, Monique Van Sluys and an anonymous reviewer for discussion and comments on the manuscript. Financial support was provided by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) to C.F.D. Rocha (process number 300819/94-3) and M. Duarte (undergraduate student fellowship/process number 111661/94-3).

Recebido em 28.XII.2000; aceito em 03.VII.2001.

Almeida, D.; L. Cogliatti-Carvalho & C.F.D. Rocha. 1998. As bromeliáceas da Ilha Grande, RJ: composição e diversidade de espécies em três ambientes diferentes. Bromelia 5(1-4):54-65.
Araújo, D.S. & R.R. Oliveira. 1988. Reserva biológica Estadual da Praia do sul (Ilha Grande, Estado do Rio de Janeiro): lista preliminar da flora. Acta bot. bras. 1(2):83-94.
Benson, W.W.; C.F.B. Haddad & M. Zikán. 1989. Territorial behavior and dominance in some heliconiine butterflies (Nymphalidae). Jour. Lepid. Soc. 43(1):33-49.
Boggs, C.L.; J.T. Smiley & L.E. Gilbert. 1981. Patterns of pollen exploitation by Heliconius butterflies. Oecologia 48:284-289.
Brown Jr., K.S. 1981. The biology of Heliconius and related genera. Ann. Rev. Entomol. 26:427-456.
DeVries, P.J. 1987. The butterflies of Costa Rica and their natural history: Papilionidae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae. New Jersey, Princeton Univ. Press, XXII+327p.
Ehrlich, P.R. 1984. The structure and dynamics of butterfly populations, p. 25-40. In: R.I. Vane-Wright & P.R. Ackery (Eds). The biology of butterflies. London, Academic Press, XXIV+429p.
Ehrlich, P.R. & L.E. Gilbert. 1973. Population structure and dynamics of the tropical butterfly Heliconius ethilla. Biotropica 5(2):69-82.
Gilbert, L.E. 1972. Pollen feeding and reproductive biology of Heliconius butterflies. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 69(6): 1403-1407.
______. 1975. Ecological consequences of a coevolved mutualism between butterflies and plants, p. 210-240. In: L.E. Gilbert & P.R. Raven (Eds). Coevolution of animals and plants. Austin, University of Texas Press, XIII+246p.
______. 1984. The biology of butterfly communities, p. 41-54. In: R.I. Vane-Wright & P.R. Ackery (Eds). The biology of butterflies. London, Academic Press, XXIV+429p.
Murawski, D.A. 1987. Floral resource variation, pollinator response, and potential pollen flow in Psiguria warscewiczii. Ecology 68:1273-1282.
Murawski, D.A. & L.E. Gilbert. 1986. Pollen flow in Psiguria warscewiczii: a comparison of Heliconius butterflies and hummingbirds. Oecologia 68:161-167.
Ramos, R.R. & A.V.L. Freitas. 1999. Population biology and wing color variation in Heliconius erato phyllis (Nymphalidae). Jour. Lepid. Soc. 53(1):11-21.
Romanowsky, H.P.; R. Gus & A.M. Araújo. 1985. Studies on the genetics and ecology of Heliconius erato (Lepid., Nymph.). III. Population size, preadult mortality, adult resources and polymorphism in natural populations. Rev. Brasil. Biol. 45(4):563-569.
Saalfeld, K. & A.M. Araújo. 1981. Studies on the genetics and ecology of Heliconius erato (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae). I: Demography of a natural population. Rev. Brasil. Biol. 41(4):855-860.
Schlyter, F. & 0. Anderbrant. 1993. Competition and niche separation between bark beetles: existence and mechanisms. Oikos 68:437-447.
Schoener, T.W. 1974. Resource partitioning in ecological communities. Science 185:27-39.
Swihart, C.A. & SL. Swihart. 1970. Colour selection and learned feeding preferences in the butterfly, Heliconius charitonius Linn. Anim. Behav. 18:60-64.
Turner, J.R.G. 1971. Experiments on the demography of tropical butterflies. II. Longevity and home range behavior in Heliconius erato. Biotropica 3:21-31.
Varassin, I.G. & M. Sazima. 2000. Recursos de Bromeliaceae utilizados por beija-flores e borboletas em Mata Atlântica no Sudeste do Brasil. Bol. Mus. Mello Leitão, N. Sér., Santa Teresa, 11/12:57-70.
Vitali-Veiga, M.J. & V.L.L. Machado. 2000. Visitantes florais de Erythrina speciosa Andr. (Leguminosae). Revta bras. Zool. 17(2):369-383.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
30 Apr 2009
Date of issue
July 2001

History

Accepted
03 July 2001
Received
28 Dec 2000

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

[1] Almeida, D.; L. Cogliatti-Carvalho & C.F.D. Rocha. 1998. As bromeliáceas da Ilha Grande, RJ: composição e diversidade de espécies em três ambientes diferentes. Bromelia 5(1-4):54-65.

[2] Araújo, D.S. & R.R. Oliveira. 1988. Reserva biológica Estadual da Praia do sul (Ilha Grande, Estado do Rio de Janeiro): lista preliminar da flora. Acta bot. bras. 1(2):83-94.

[3] Benson, W.W.; C.F.B. Haddad & M. Zikán. 1989. Territorial behavior and dominance in some heliconiine butterflies (Nymphalidae). Jour. Lepid. Soc. 43(1):33-49.

[4] Boggs, C.L.; J.T. Smiley & L.E. Gilbert. 1981. Patterns of pollen exploitation by Heliconius butterflies. Oecologia 48:284-289.

[5] Brown Jr., K.S. 1981. The biology of Heliconius and related genera. Ann. Rev. Entomol. 26:427-456.

[6] DeVries, P.J. 1987. The butterflies of Costa Rica and their natural history: Papilionidae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae. New Jersey, Princeton Univ. Press, XXII+327p.

[7] Ehrlich, P.R. 1984. The structure and dynamics of butterfly populations, p. 25-40. In: R.I. Vane-Wright & P.R. Ackery (Eds). The biology of butterflies. London, Academic Press, XXIV+429p.

[8] Ehrlich, P.R. & L.E. Gilbert. 1973. Population structure and dynamics of the tropical butterfly Heliconius ethilla. Biotropica 5(2):69-82.

[9] Gilbert, L.E. 1972. Pollen feeding and reproductive biology of Heliconius butterflies. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 69(6): 1403-1407.

[10] ______. 1975. Ecological consequences of a coevolved mutualism between butterflies and plants, p. 210-240. In: L.E. Gilbert & P.R. Raven (Eds). Coevolution of animals and plants. Austin, University of Texas Press, XIII+246p.

[11] ______. 1984. The biology of butterfly communities, p. 41-54. In: R.I. Vane-Wright & P.R. Ackery (Eds). The biology of butterflies. London, Academic Press, XXIV+429p.

[12] Murawski, D.A. 1987. Floral resource variation, pollinator response, and potential pollen flow in Psiguria warscewiczii. Ecology 68:1273-1282.

[13] Murawski, D.A. & L.E. Gilbert. 1986. Pollen flow in Psiguria warscewiczii: a comparison of Heliconius butterflies and hummingbirds. Oecologia 68:161-167.

[14] Ramos, R.R. & A.V.L. Freitas. 1999. Population biology and wing color variation in Heliconius erato phyllis (Nymphalidae). Jour. Lepid. Soc. 53(1):11-21.

[15] Romanowsky, H.P.; R. Gus & A.M. Araújo. 1985. Studies on the genetics and ecology of Heliconius erato (Lepid., Nymph.). III. Population size, preadult mortality, adult resources and polymorphism in natural populations. Rev. Brasil. Biol. 45(4):563-569.

[16] Saalfeld, K. & A.M. Araújo. 1981. Studies on the genetics and ecology of Heliconius erato (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae). I: Demography of a natural population. Rev. Brasil. Biol. 41(4):855-860.

[17] Schlyter, F. & 0. Anderbrant. 1993. Competition and niche separation between bark beetles: existence and mechanisms. Oikos 68:437-447.

[18] Schoener, T.W. 1974. Resource partitioning in ecological communities. Science 185:27-39.

[19] Swihart, C.A. & SL. Swihart. 1970. Colour selection and learned feeding preferences in the butterfly, Heliconius charitonius Linn. Anim. Behav. 18:60-64.

[20] Turner, J.R.G. 1971. Experiments on the demography of tropical butterflies. II. Longevity and home range behavior in Heliconius erato. Biotropica 3:21-31.

[21] Varassin, I.G. & M. Sazima. 2000. Recursos de Bromeliaceae utilizados por beija-flores e borboletas em Mata Atlântica no Sudeste do Brasil. Bol. Mus. Mello Leitão, N. Sér., Santa Teresa, 11/12:57-70.

[22] Vitali-Veiga, M.J. & V.L.L. Machado. 2000. Visitantes florais de Erythrina speciosa Andr. (Leguminosae). Revta bras. Zool. 17(2):369-383.