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Saliva Or Regurgitated Nectar? What Heliconius Butterflies (Lepidoptera

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Saliva Or Regurgitated Nectar? What Heliconius Butterflies (Lepidoptera ARTHROPOD BIOLOGY Saliva or Regurgitated Nectar? What Heliconius Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) Use for Pollen Feeding 1,2 1 3 1 STEFAN H. EBERHARD, ANNA L. HIKL, CAROL L. BOGGS, AND HARALD W. KRENN Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 102(6): 1105Ð1108 (2009) ABSTRACT The Neotropical Heliconius butterßies are well known to supplement their nectar diet by active pollen collecting. They extract proteins and free amino acids from pollen grains, exhibiting a particular behavior that involves the use of a ßuid of uncertain origin. It has been assumed that this ßuid is either regurgitated nectar or saliva, because for anatomical reasons a butterßy is able to release only these two ßuids through its proboscis. In an experimental approach, 27 individuals of Heliconius melpomene (L.) were given red-dyed sugar solution and subsequently we observed whether the ßuid used in pollen feeding was dyed or not dyed. Because regurgitated nectar should contain sugar, ßuid samples were taken from the proboscis of butterßies from natural populations in Costa Rica. Samples of 44 individuals from seven species were tested for the presence of fructose and glucose with the aid of aniline phthalate. This study is the Þrst detailed investigation of the origin of the ßuid used by Heliconius butterßies in pollen feeding. The results are discussed in terms of already existing hints in literature concerning the true nature of that ßuid. KEY WORDS heliconiines, Laparus, sugar assay, nutritional ecology Butterßies of the genera Heliconius and Laparus ac- speciÞcally are able to discharge saliva from the tip of tively collect pollen with their proboscises, in addition the proboscis to dissolve solid or viscous substances to nectar feeding. This unique behavior supplies these (Knopp and Krenn 2003). Although the salivary glands butterßies with proteins and free amino acids and is a of Heliconius do not differ in terms of anatomy and key innovation for the sophisticated biology of pollen histology from those of other nonpollen feeding feeding heliconiines (Gilbert 1972, Gilbert 1991). Es- nymphalids (Eberhard and Krenn 2003), pollen feed- sential amino acids derived from pollen feeding have ers have disproportionately larger salivary glands been shown to be transferred directly to eggs (OÕBrien (Eberhard et al. 2009). Combined with the fact that a et al. 2003). greater amount of ßuid is used for pollen feeding than During pollen feeding, the pollen remains on the for nectar feeding (Penz and Krenn 2000), this hints outer proboscis surface. A clear liquid is discharged, that saliva is important in pollen feeding. Insect saliva wherein pollen is processed for up to several hours by is an aqueous solution of different enzymes, depend- partial uncoiling and recoiling of the proboscis. Dur- ing on the mode of nutrition (Ribeiro 1995). Eberhard ing pollen processing the pollen grains become me- et al. (2007) detected protease activity in the saliva of chanically damaged, which aids nutrient acquisition Heliconius melpomene (L.), which may improve pollen for Heliconius butterßies (Krenn et al. 2009). For an- digestion. In contrast, nectar is a solution of varying atomical reasons, only saliva or regurgitated nectar concentrations of different sugars, primarily sucrose, can be released from the food canal of a butterßyÕs glucose, and fructose (Galetto and Bernardello 2005). proboscis (Eberhard and Krenn 2003), so the process- In addition, germination of pollen grains in differently ing liquid must be one or the other, or a mixture of concentrated sugar solutions could not be observed both. Gilbert (1972) had good reasons to suppose that (H.W.K., unpublished data). the liquid used for pollen processing is regurgitated In the current study, we use an experimental ap- nectar. He referred to studies that indicated that ger- proach to determine whether pollen processing in- minating pollen placed in a sucrose medium released volves regurgitated nectar or salivary ßuid or a mixture free amino acids and proteins (Stanley and Linskens of both. 1965, Linskens and Schrauwen 1969). However, insects in general use saliva to facilitate Materials and Methods the uptake of food (Ribeiro 1995), and butterßies Experiment 1: Dyed Nectar. To check if the ßuid 1 Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Al- used in pollen feeding is regurgitated nectar, 27 indi- thanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. viduals from a H. melpomene greenhouse population 2 Corresponding author, e-mail: [email protected]. 3 Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305- were allowed to feed on nectar, which had been dyed 5020. with a red food coloring. Subsequently, pollen of ei- 0013-8746/09/1105Ð1108$04.00/0 ᭧ 2009 Entomological Society of America 1106 ANNALS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA Vol. 102, no. 6 proboscis with a needle. Most butterßies started pol- len processing behavior and released a clear liquid. This mixture of liquid and glass beads was rinsed off the proboscis into a vessel with 0.05 ml of distilled water. To test for sugar, a small amount of the liquid was applied with a micropipette onto a precoated sheet for thin layer chromatography (TLC). The TLC sheet was put on a hot-plate (45ЊC) until the applied liquid spots were dried. This procedure was repeated until the whole sample from an individual was applied on one spot on the TLC sheet. Three control samples (distilled water and 3 and 0.3% sugar solution) were applied in the same way. The TLC sheet was then sprayed with aniline phthalate and heated at 125ЊC. Aniline phthalate reacts only with reducing sugars, such as glucose and fructose (not with sucrose) during heat exposure. Presence of any kind of reducing sugar H melpomene Fig. 1. Pollen-feeding . (Nymphalidae). in the sample results in a color reaction. In preliminary The pollen on the proboscis (arrow) is processed by using tests, even a 0.05% glucose solution resulted in a color salivary ßuid. reaction. Test 2 was performed similarly, but without Þrst ther pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) or sunßower (He- isolating and putting the individuals on sugar solution. lianthus annuus L.) was placed on the proboscis by The proboscis was only rinsed with distilled water if it using a needle. These speciesÕ pollen was chosen be- was contaminated with pollen. In total, 12 individuals cause the size is similar to pollen used in the wild. In (eight females and four males) were tested; these most cases, the butterßy immediately released a drop- individuals also had been used in test 1. let of ßuid from the proboscis and started pollen- Experiment 3: Field Samples. In total, 44 Heliconius processing behavior (Fig. 1). The color of this ßuid and Laparus butterßies were netted at the Tropical was recorded. A few individuals did not start process- Research Station La Gamba, Puntarenas, Costa Rica ing pollen; thus, no ßuid release was observable. Some (8Њ 45Ј N, 83Њ 10Ј W; 81 m above sea level) in February butterßies were tested with pollen from both plant 2007. The butterßies were put in a net cage, and ßuid species (Table 1). samples were extracted by putting glass beads on the Experiment 2: Sugar Content of Fluid. We per- proboscis. When a butterßy performed pollen-pro- formed two different tests for sugar in the regurgitated cessing behavior, the mixture of released ßuid and ßuid, by using only those individuals that exhibited glass beads was rinsed off with distilled water into a processing behavior and ßuid release. small vessel. Afterward, the butterßies were released In test 1, 15 individuals of H. melpomene were tested where they had been caught. The ßuid sample from in total (10 females, four males, and one undetermined each individual was applied onto a Þlter paper (seven gender). The individuals were isolated overnight and droplets of Ϸ3.3 ␮l each) by using a micropipette. provided with water next morning. One hour later, These Þlter papers were dried at 50ЊC for 12 h and then they were put on cotton soaked with a 30% (wt:wt) stored in an airtight container with silica gel. Those sugar solution (sucrose:glucose:fructose, 1:1:1) and Þlter papers were tested for reducing sugars using were allowed to feed ad libitum. After a butterßy had aniline phthalate as described above. The threshold ceased feeding, its proboscis was rinsed twice with for detecting reducing sugars with this method is be- distilled water to remove any remaining sugar. Then, tween 0.1 and 1% reducing sugar solution. glass beads (Ϸ106 ␮m in diameter) were placed on the Results from a laboratory population Experiment 1: Dyed Nectar. In total, 33 trials were (27 ؍ Table 1. H. melpomene (N were tested for the color of the released fluid during pollen pro- performed with 27 H. melpomene individuals, which cessing after intake of dyed sugar solution (experiment 1) had been fed red-dyed nectar. In 18 trials with Tested with pumpkin pollen, the ßuid droplets released on the Pumpkin Sunßower Total proboscis during pollen processing were crystal pollen pollen clear and thus recorded as undyed (Table 1). No droplets were released in four further trials with Individuals tested 22 11 27 (6 twice) Undyed ßuid released 18 5 23 pumpkin pollen. In Þve tests using sunßower pollen, Dyed ßuid released 0 0 0 the ßuid droplets also were undyed and in six tests No ßuid released 4 6 10 no ßuid was released. Red dyed ßuid was never Total no. of tests 22 11 33 visible on the proboscis (Table 1). Experiment 2: Sugar Content of Fluid. In test 1, For these tests, pumpkin pollen (C. pepo) and sunßower pollen (H. annuus) were used. Six individuals were tested with both speciesÕ butterßies were isolated overnight and then fed a pollen. sugar solution before the test. Three ßuid samples November 2009 EBERHARD ET AL.: POLLEN FEEDING IN Heliconius 1107 Table 2.
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