Oviposition preference and larval performance in a Heliconius erato phyllis (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) population from southeastern Brazil: is there a positive relationship?

Abstract

Preference–performance hypothesis was tested in the butterfly Heliconius erato phyllis under field, insectary and laboratory conditions in a population from southeastern Brazil. Throughout a year, Passiflora capsularis was the host predominantly used for oviposition in the field. Similarly, when host plants were of high quality in the field, H. erato phyllis females that came from this environment laid more eggs on P. capsularis under insectary conditions. In contrast, when host plant quality declined in nature, females did not show preference for any host plant in particular in the insectary. Larvae had superior performances when reared on P. capsularis and Passiflora edulis than on Passiflora jilekii. Overall, our results show a trend towards a positive relationship between oviposition and performance in H. erato phyllis. The factors that might lead to an absence of selection under insectary conditions by females from a poor-quality environment are discussed.

Keywords:

• heliconian butterflies
• host plant selection
• insect performance
• oviposition preference
• Passifloraceae

Acknowledgements

We thank Mohamed E.E.M. Habib for his valuable support and Luís C. Bernacci for identifying species of Passifloraceae. Paulo E.P. Cardoso and Ronaldo B. Francini assisted us on general information and statistical analysis, and José R. Trigo allowed us to use the incubator and the analytical balance. We are also grateful to Leonardo Ré-Jorge, Keith S. Brown Jr, Niklas Wahlberg and five anonymous reviewers for critically reviewing this manuscript. R.R.R. thanks CAPES and D.R. acknowledges FAPESP (2007/07802-4). A.V.L.F. thanks FAPESP (00/01484-1 and 04/05269-9 and the BIOTA-FAPESP programme (98/05101-8), the CNPq (300282/2008-7) and the National Science Foundation (DEB-0527441).