Organization of the Olfactory System of Nymphalidae Butterflies

Carlsson, Mikael A.; Schäpers, Alexander; Nässel, Dick R.; Janz, Niklas

doi:10.1093/chemse/bjt008

Cited by 33 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…In addition, we stained a number of brains with an antibody against allatostatin-A, which is expressed in local interneurons in the antennal lobe of adult insects, including butterflies [19,20]. From P6 onwards, about 10 somata of local interneurons were immunoreactive in a lateral cell cluster of the directly developing brains (figure 4 g–i ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Idiosyncratic development of sensory structures in brains of diapausing butterfly pupae: implications for information processing

et al. 2017

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Diapause is an important escape mechanism from seasonal stress in many insects. A certain minimum amount of time in diapause is generally needed in order for it to terminate. The mechanisms of time-keeping in diapause are poorly understood, but it can be hypothesized that a well-developed neural system is required. However, because neural tissue is metabolically costly to maintain, there might exist conflicting selective pressures on overall brain development during diapause, on the one hand to save energy and on the other hand to provide reliable information processing during diapause. We performed the first ever investigation of neural development during diapause and non-diapause (direct) development in pupae of the butterfly Pieris napi from a population whose diapause duration is known. The brain grew in size similarly in pupae of both pathways up to 3 days after pupation, when development in the diapause brain was arrested. While development in the brain of direct pupae continued steadily after this point, no further development occurred during diapause until temperatures increased far after diapause termination. Interestingly, sensory structures related to vision were remarkably well developed in pupae from both pathways, in contrast with neuropils related to olfaction, which only developed in direct pupae. The results suggest that a well-developed visual system might be important for normal diapause development.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Idiosyncratic development of sensory structures in brains of diapausing butterfly pupae: implications for information processing

et al. 2017

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“…Lack of sexual dimorphism in the antennal lobe has also been observed in other species of butterflies (Rospars ; Carlsson et al . ). The differences in sensitivity can have several explanations; the most plausible is that the number of neurons housing a receptor sensitive to MeS is higher in males than in females.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Male butterflies use an anti‐aphrodisiac pheromone to tailor ejaculates

et al. 2015

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Summary1. When females mate with multiple partners, the risk of sperm competition depends on female mating history. To maximize fitness, males should adjust their mating investment according to this risk. In polyandrous butterflies, males transfer a large, nutritious ejaculate at mating. Larger ejaculates delay female remating and confer an advantage in sperm competition. 2. We test whether male ejaculate size in the butterfly Pieris napi (Lepidoptera) varies with female mating history and thus sperm competition, and whether males assess sperm competition using the male-transferred anti-aphrodisiac methyl salicylate (MeS) as a cue. 3. Both sexes responded physiologically to MeS in a dose-dependent manner. Males, however, were more sensitive to MeS than females. 4. Ejaculates transferred by males mating with previously mated females were on average 26% larger than ejaculates transferred by males mating with virgin females, which conforms to sperm competition theory and indicates that males tailored their reproductive investment in response to sperm competition. Furthermore, ejaculates transferred by males mating with virgin females with artificially added MeS were also 26% larger than ejaculates transferred to control virgin females. 5. Male-transferred anti-aphrodisiac pheromone not only functions as a male deterrent, but also carries information on female mating history and thus allows males to assess sperm competition.

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“…As such, the greater relative size of the visual neuropils in D. plexippus , and the smaller relative size of its olfactory neuropils, likely indicate a greater importance of visual information to diurnal butterflies (Hambäck et al, ). The enlarged volume of a small number of sexually dimorphic glomeruli in the antennal lobes of male moths (Rospars and Hildebrand, ; Huetteroth and Schachtner, ; El Jundi et al, ; Løfaldli et al, ), but not butterflies (Rospars ; Heinze and Reppert ; Carlsson et al, ), can also be attributed to greater sensitivity for female pheromones over large distances, with butterflies having lost this long‐range function, instead using chemical communication on much smaller spatial scales (Rospars, ; Andersson et al, ; Carlsson et al, ).…”

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confidence: 99%

Brain composition in Godyris zavaleta, a diurnal butterfly, Reflects an increased reliance on olfactory information

Montgomery

Ott

2014

J of Comparative Neurology

136

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Interspecific comparisons of brain structure can inform our functional understanding of brain regions, identify adaptations to species-specific ecologies, and explore what constrains adaptive changes in brain structure, and coevolution between functionally related structures. The value of such comparisons is enhanced when the species considered have known ecological differences. The Lepidoptera have long been a favored model in evolutionary biology, but to date descriptions of brain anatomy have largely focused on a few commonly used neurobiological model species. We describe the brain of Godyris zavaleta (Ithomiinae), a member of a subfamily of Neotropical butterflies with enhanced reliance on olfactory information. We demonstrate for the first time the presence of sexually dimorphic glomeruli within a distinct macroglomerular complex (MGC) in the antennal lobe of a diurnal butterfly. This presents a striking convergence with the well-known moth MGC, prompting a discussion of the potential mechanisms behind the independent evolution of specialized glomeruli. Interspecific analyses across four Lepidoptera further show that the relative size of sensory neuropils closely mirror interspecific variation in sensory ecology, with G. zavaleta displaying levels of sensory investment intermediate between the diurnal monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), which invests heavily in visual neuropil, and night-flying moths, which invest more in olfactory neuropil. We identify several traits that distinguish butterflies from moths, and several that distinguish D. plexippus and G. zavaleta. Our results illustrate that ecological selection pressures mold the structure of invertebrate brains, and exemplify how comparative analyses across ecologically divergent species can illuminate the functional significance of variation in brain structure.

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Organization of the Olfactory System of Nymphalidae Butterflies

Cited by 33 publications

References 73 publications

Idiosyncratic development of sensory structures in brains of diapausing butterfly pupae: implications for information processing

Idiosyncratic development of sensory structures in brains of diapausing butterfly pupae: implications for information processing

Male butterflies use an anti‐aphrodisiac pheromone to tailor ejaculates

Brain composition in Godyris zavaleta, a diurnal butterfly, Reflects an increased reliance on olfactory information

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