Evolution of larval gregariousness is associated with host plant specialisation, but not host morphology, in Heliconiini butterflies
Abstract Insect herbivores, such as lepidopteran larvae, often have close evolutionary relationships with their host plants, with which they may be locked in an evolutionary arms race. Larval grouping behaviour may be one behavioural adaptation that improves host plant feeding, but aggregation also...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2024-02-01
|
| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11002 |
| _version_ | 1797290923704451072 |
|---|---|
| author | Callum F. McLellan Stephen H. Montgomery |
| author_facet | Callum F. McLellan Stephen H. Montgomery |
| author_sort | Callum F. McLellan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Insect herbivores, such as lepidopteran larvae, often have close evolutionary relationships with their host plants, with which they may be locked in an evolutionary arms race. Larval grouping behaviour may be one behavioural adaptation that improves host plant feeding, but aggregation also comes with costs, such as higher competition and limited resource access. Here, we use the Heliconiini butterfly tribe to explore the impact of host plant traits on the evolution of larval gregariousness. Heliconiini almost exclusively utilise species from the Passifloraceae as larval host plants. Passifloraceae display incredible diversity in leaf shape and a range of anti‐herbivore defences, suggesting they are responding to, and influencing, the evolution of Heliconiini larvae. By analysing larval social behaviour as both a binary (solitary or gregarious) and categorical (increasing larval group size) trait, we revisit the multiple origins of larval gregariousness across Heliconiini. We investigate whether host habitat, leaf defences and leaf size are important drivers of, or constraints on, larval gregariousness. Whereas our data do not reveal links between larval gregariousness and the host plant traits included in this study, we do find an interaction between host plant specialisation and larval behaviour, revealing gregarious larvae to be more likely to feed on a narrower range of host plant species than solitary larvae. We also find evidence that this increased specialisation typically precedes the evolutionary transition to gregarious behaviour. The comparatively greater host specialisation of gregarious larvae suggests that there are specific morphological and/or ecological features of their host plants that favour this behaviour. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:29:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c489995e488e4a2d9fd33d597dfae900 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:29:18Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-c489995e488e4a2d9fd33d597dfae9002024-02-29T08:56:40ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582024-02-01142n/an/a10.1002/ece3.11002Evolution of larval gregariousness is associated with host plant specialisation, but not host morphology, in Heliconiini butterfliesCallum F. McLellan0Stephen H. Montgomery1School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UKSchool of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UKAbstract Insect herbivores, such as lepidopteran larvae, often have close evolutionary relationships with their host plants, with which they may be locked in an evolutionary arms race. Larval grouping behaviour may be one behavioural adaptation that improves host plant feeding, but aggregation also comes with costs, such as higher competition and limited resource access. Here, we use the Heliconiini butterfly tribe to explore the impact of host plant traits on the evolution of larval gregariousness. Heliconiini almost exclusively utilise species from the Passifloraceae as larval host plants. Passifloraceae display incredible diversity in leaf shape and a range of anti‐herbivore defences, suggesting they are responding to, and influencing, the evolution of Heliconiini larvae. By analysing larval social behaviour as both a binary (solitary or gregarious) and categorical (increasing larval group size) trait, we revisit the multiple origins of larval gregariousness across Heliconiini. We investigate whether host habitat, leaf defences and leaf size are important drivers of, or constraints on, larval gregariousness. Whereas our data do not reveal links between larval gregariousness and the host plant traits included in this study, we do find an interaction between host plant specialisation and larval behaviour, revealing gregarious larvae to be more likely to feed on a narrower range of host plant species than solitary larvae. We also find evidence that this increased specialisation typically precedes the evolutionary transition to gregarious behaviour. The comparatively greater host specialisation of gregarious larvae suggests that there are specific morphological and/or ecological features of their host plants that favour this behaviour.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11002caterpillarsgregarious behaviourHeliconiinihost defencehost planthost specialisation |
| spellingShingle | Callum F. McLellan Stephen H. Montgomery Evolution of larval gregariousness is associated with host plant specialisation, but not host morphology, in Heliconiini butterflies Ecology and Evolution caterpillars gregarious behaviour Heliconiini host defence host plant host specialisation |
| title | Evolution of larval gregariousness is associated with host plant specialisation, but not host morphology, in Heliconiini butterflies |
| title_full | Evolution of larval gregariousness is associated with host plant specialisation, but not host morphology, in Heliconiini butterflies |
| title_fullStr | Evolution of larval gregariousness is associated with host plant specialisation, but not host morphology, in Heliconiini butterflies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evolution of larval gregariousness is associated with host plant specialisation, but not host morphology, in Heliconiini butterflies |
| title_short | Evolution of larval gregariousness is associated with host plant specialisation, but not host morphology, in Heliconiini butterflies |
| title_sort | evolution of larval gregariousness is associated with host plant specialisation but not host morphology in heliconiini butterflies |
| topic | caterpillars gregarious behaviour Heliconiini host defence host plant host specialisation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11002 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT callumfmclellan evolutionoflarvalgregariousnessisassociatedwithhostplantspecialisationbutnothostmorphologyinheliconiinibutterflies AT stephenhmontgomery evolutionoflarvalgregariousnessisassociatedwithhostplantspecialisationbutnothostmorphologyinheliconiinibutterflies |