Colour Vision in Diurnal and Nocturnal Hawkmoths

Kelber, Almut; Balkenius, Anna; Warrant, Eric J.

doi:10.1093/icb/43.4.571

Cited by 113 publications

(113 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Nocturnal animals thus encounter changing visual environments at temporal and spatial scales, particularly in seasonally deciduous forests. Kelber and colleagues have recently argued that nocturnal color vision may be advantageous in changing light environments in some nocturnal vertebrates (Kelber et al, 2002;Kelber et al, 2003;Johnsen et al, 2006;Kelber and Roth, 2006;Kelber and Lind, 2010;Kelber and Osorio, 2010). Similar arguments for the selective advantage of using color vision rather than achromatic cues in conditions that exhibit great spatial and temporal fluctuations in intensity have been made for terrestrial (Mollon, 1989) and aquatic forests (Cummings, 2004) in diurnal conditions.…”

Section: Target Detection and Spectral Tuning In Nocturnal Light Envimentioning

confidence: 82%

Nocturnal light environments and species ecology: implications for nocturnal color vision in forests

Veilleux

Cummings

2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

104

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SUMMARYAlthough variation in the color of light in terrestrial diurnal and twilight environments has been well documented, relatively little work has examined the color of light in nocturnal habitats. Understanding the range and sources of variation in nocturnal light environments has important implications for nocturnal vision, particularly following recent discoveries of nocturnal color vision. In this study, we measured nocturnal irradiance in a dry forest/woodland and a rainforest in Madagascar over 34 nights. We found that a simple linear model including the additive effects of lunar altitude, lunar phase and canopy openness successfully predicted total irradiance flux measurements across 242 clear sky measurements (r0.85, P<0.0001). However, the relationship between these variables and spectral irradiance was more complex, as interactions between lunar altitude, lunar phase and canopy openness were also important predictors of spectral variation. Further, in contrast to diurnal conditions, nocturnal forests and woodlands share a yellow-green-dominant light environment with peak flux at 560nm. To explore how nocturnal light environments influence nocturnal vision, we compared photoreceptor spectral tuning, habitat preference and diet in 32 nocturnal mammals. In many species, long-wavelength-sensitive cone spectral sensitivity matched the peak flux present in nocturnal forests and woodlands, suggesting a possible adaptation to maximize photon absorption at night. Further, controlling for phylogeny, we found that fruit/flower consumption significantly predicted short-wavelength-sensitive cone spectral tuning in nocturnal mammals (P0.002). These results suggest that variation in nocturnal light environments and species ecology together influence cone spectral tuning and color vision in nocturnal mammals. Supplementary material available online at

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Section: Target Detection and Spectral Tuning In Nocturnal Light Envimentioning

confidence: 82%

Nocturnal light environments and species ecology: implications for nocturnal color vision in forests

Veilleux

Cummings

2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

104

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“…taxa [8]. Behavioral experiments show that Heliconius butterflies present color vision as a possible answer to selection of the discriminative ability of oviposition sites by females [26][27][28][29], although the chemical stimuli are not excluded [6].…”

Section: Chemical Analysis Of Nectarmentioning

confidence: 99%

Only Attract Ants? The Versatility of Petiolar Extrafloral Nectaries in <i>Passiflora</i>

Cardoso‐Gustavson¹,

Andreazza²,

Sawaya³

et al. 2013

AJPS

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Passiflora species presents a coevolutive relationship with Heliconiini butterflies, their primary herbivores. The Heliconiini caterpillars are able to detoxify toxic compounds produced by Passiflora, thus morphological defense strategies stand out over chemical innovations. In this framework, we highlight the presence of mimetic structures and extrafloral nectaries (EFN) as morphological strategies. Heliconian butterflies oviposit only on leaves that do not possess previous eggs, so the presence of egg mimics could prevent the oviposition. EFN are glands that offer nectar to territorial and aggressive ants, establishing mutualistic relationships. Here, we present a structural and chemical analysis of petiolar EFN and nectar from Passiflora alata and P. edulis in order to have insights about the implications of these features in deterring heliconian caterpillars. P. alata have one to four stipitate-crateriform EFN while P. edulis possess a pair of convex glands. Butterflies lay their eggs isolatedly or in up to three on leaves of both species. Our morphological results suggest that EFN from P. alata may act as egg mimics. Ontogenetic data suggest that the variation in the number of glands observed in this species is a serial homology, wherein the selection pressure for this variation is possibly the oviposition pattern. P. alata retain alkaloids, flavonoids and terpenoids inside nectariferous cells; sugars and flavonoids are found in the nectar of both species, while alkaloids are also detected in P. edulis. There is a selective retention/release of secondary metabolites from the EFN tissues to nectar. Knowing that these compounds can be dissuasive to some herbivores and inoffensive to others, we plotted this relationship in a consumer growth versus secondary metabolite concentration diagram. Our results suggest a more active role in the modulation of the gland defense from plants besides the establishment of a mutualistic relationship with ants, an important response in a coevolutive scenario.

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“…The number of photons N that are absorbed by the photoreceptors in one ommatidium of the nocturnal hawkmoth, Deilephila elpenor, per integration time of the photoreceptor, is given by: (Warrant and Nilsson, 1998;Kelber et al, 2002;Kelber et al, 2003a;Warrant, 2004). L() is the stimulus radiance in photons·m -2 ·s -1 ·nm -1 ·sr -1 .…”

Section: Receptor Sensitivities and Photon Catch Calculationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, the white flower, whose reflectance is high but relatively similar in spectrum to the leaves, had a high and stable contrast under all light conditions (Fig.·5A). D. elpenor and other nocturnal hawkmoths are thought to primarily visit white flowers with exceptionally high reflectance (reviewed by Raguso and Willis, 2002;Kelber et al, 2003a). In addition, crepuscular hawkmoths (e.g.…”

Section: Changing Crepuscular and Nocturnal Illumination Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crepuscular and nocturnal illumination and its effects on color perception by the nocturnal hawkmoth Deilephila elpenor

Johnsen

Kelber

Warrant

et al. 2006

Journal of Experimental Biology

199

250

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SUMMARY Recent studies have shown that certain nocturnal insect and vertebrate species have true color vision under nocturnal illumination. Thus, their vision is potentially affected by changes in the spectral quality of twilight and nocturnal illumination, due to the presence or absence of the moon,artificial light pollution and other factors. We investigated this in the following manner. First we measured the spectral irradiance (from 300 to 700 nm) during the day, sunset, twilight, full moon, new moon, and in the presence of high levels of light pollution. The spectra were then converted to both human-based chromaticities and to relative quantum catches for the nocturnal hawkmoth Deilephila elpenor, which has color vision. The reflectance spectra of various flowers and leaves and the red hindwings of D. elpenor were also converted to chromaticities and relative quantum catches. Finally, the achromatic and chromatic contrasts (with and without von Kries color constancy) of the flowers and hindwings against a leaf background were determined under the various lighting environments. The twilight and nocturnal illuminants were substantially different from each other, resulting in significantly different contrasts. The addition of von Kries color constancy significantly reduced the effect of changing illuminants on chromatic contrast, suggesting that, even in this light-limited environment,the ability of color vision to provide reliable signals under changing illuminants may offset the concurrent threefold decrease in sensitivity and spatial resolution. Given this, color vision may be more common in crepuscular and nocturnal species than previously considered.

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Colour Vision in Diurnal and Nocturnal Hawkmoths

Cited by 113 publications

References 27 publications

Nocturnal light environments and species ecology: implications for nocturnal color vision in forests

Nocturnal light environments and species ecology: implications for nocturnal color vision in forests

Only Attract Ants? The Versatility of Petiolar Extrafloral Nectaries in <i>Passiflora</i>

Crepuscular and nocturnal illumination and its effects on color perception by the nocturnal hawkmoth Deilephila elpenor

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Colour Vision in Diurnal and Nocturnal Hawkmoths

Cited by 113 publications

References 27 publications

Nocturnal light environments and species ecology: implications for nocturnal color vision in forests

Nocturnal light environments and species ecology: implications for nocturnal color vision in forests

Only Attract Ants? The Versatility of Petiolar Extrafloral Nectaries in &lt;i&gt;Passiflora&lt;/i&gt;

Crepuscular and nocturnal illumination and its effects on color perception by the nocturnal hawkmoth Deilephila elpenor

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Only Attract Ants? The Versatility of Petiolar Extrafloral Nectaries in <i>Passiflora</i>