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Heliconius

(Genus)

Overview

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Crenis redirects here. As described by Boisduval in 1833, this is an invalid name of the brush-footed butterfly genus Sevenia.

Heliconius comprises a colorful and widespread genus of brush-footed butterfly commonly known as the Longwings. This genus is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the New World, from South America as far north as the southern United States. The larvae of these butterflies eat Passion flower vines (Passifloraceae). Adults exhibit bright wing color patterns to signal their distastefulness to potential predators.

Brought to the forefront of scientific attention by Victorian naturalists, these butterflies exhibit a striking diversity and mimicry, both amongst themselves and with species in other groups of butterflies and moths. The study of Heliconius and other groups of mimetic butterflies allowed the English naturalist Henry Walter Bates, following his return from Brazil in 1859, to lend support to Charles Darwin, who had found similar diversity amongst the Galapagos Finches.

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Heliconius butterflies have been a subject of many studies, due partly to their abundance and the relative ease of breeding them under laboratory conditions, but also because of the extensive mimicry that occurs in this group. From the nineteenth century to the present-day, their study has helped scientists to understand how new species are formed and why nature is so diverse. In particular, the genus is suitable for the study of both Batesian mimicry and M?llerian mimicry.

Because of the type of plant material that Heliconius caterpillars favor and the resulting poisons they store in their tissues, the adult butterflies are usually unpalatable to predators.[1] This warning is announced, to the mutual benefit of bot h parties, by bright colors and contrasting wing patterns, a phenomenon known as aposematism. Heliconius butterflies are thus M?llerian mimics of one another, and are also involved in ?M?llerian mimicry with various species of Ithomiini, Danaini and Acraeini as well as pericopine arctiid moths. They are probably the models for various palatable Batesian mimics, including Papilio zagreus and various Phyciodina.

Convergence

Heliconius butterflies such as Heliconius numata benefit from mimicking other unpalatable species of butterfly in their local habitat, such as Melinaea, because doing so spreads the cost of educating predators.[1] Such mimicry is termed M?llerian and may result in convergent evolution. Work has been done to try to understand the genetic changes responsible for the convergent evolution of wing patterns in comimetic species. Molecular work on two distantly related Heliconius comimics, Heliconius melpomene and Heliconius erato, has revealed that homologous genomic regions in the species are responsible for the convergence in wing patterns.[2][3][4]

Speciation

Heliconius butterflies are models for the study of speciation. Hybrid speciation has been hypothesized to occur in this genus and may contribute to the diverse mimicry found in Heliconius butterflies.[5] It has been proposed that two closely related species, H. cydno and H. melpomene, hybridized to create the species H. heurippa. Assortive mating reproductively isolates H. heurippa from its parental species.[6] This is considered by some to represent a rare example of speciation through hybridization outside the plant world.

Species diversity

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Most current researchers agree that there are some 39 Heliconius species. These are listed alphabetically here, according to Gerardo Lamas' (2004) checklist.[7] Note that the subspecific nomenclature is incomplete for many species (there are over 2000 published names associated with the genus, many of which are subjective synonyms or infrasubspecific names).[8][9][10]

Sometimes placed in Heliconius:

Doris Longwing (Laparus doris)
on of wing patterns in comimetic species. Molecular work on two distantly related Heliconius comimics, Heliconius melpomene and Heliconius erato, has revealed that homologous genomic regions in the species are responsible for the convergence in wing patterns.[2][3][4]

Speciation

Heliconius butterflies are models for the study of speciation. Hybrid speciation has been hypothesized to occur in this genus and may contribute to the diverse mimicry found in Heliconius butterflies.[5] It has been proposed that two closely related species, H. cydno and H. melpomene, hybridized to create the species H. heurippa. Assortive mating reproductively isolates H. heurippa from its parental species.[6] This is considered by some to represent a rare example of speciation through hybridization outside the plant world.

Species diversity

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Most current researchers agree that there are some 39 Heliconius species. These are listed alphabetica lly here, according to Gerardo Lamas' (2004) checklist.[7] Note that the subspecific nomenclature is incomplete for many species (there are over 2000 published names associated with the genus, many of which are subjective synonyms or infrasubspecific names).[8][9][10]

Sometimes placed in Heliconius:

Doris Longwing (Laparus doris)

References

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  1. ^ a b Wade, Nicholas (15 August 2011). "A Supergene Paints Wings for Surviving Biologica l War". NY Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/science/16butterfly.html. Retrieved 17 August 2011. 
  2. ^ Baxter, S W, Papa, R, Chamberlain, N, Humphray, J S, Joron, M, Morrison, C and Ffrench-Constant, R H, 2008. Convergent evolution in the genetic basis of m?llerian mimicry in heliconius butterflies. Genetics 180: 1567?77
  3. ^ Counterman, B A, Araujo-Perez, F, Hines, H M, Baxter, S W, Morrison, C M, Lindstrom, D P and Papa, R, 2010. Genomic hotspots for adaptation: The population genetics of M?llerian mimicry in heliconius erato. Plos Genetics 6:-.
  4. ^ Joron, M, Papa, R, Beltran, M, Chamberlain, N, Mavarez, J, Baxter, S and Abanto, M, 2006. A conserved supergene locus controls color pattern diversity in heliconius butterflies. Plos Biology 4: 1831?40
  5. ^ Brower A V Z (2011). "Hybrid speciation in Heliconius butterflies? A review and critique of the evidence". Genetica 139 (2): 589?609. doi:10.1007/s10709-010-9530-4. 
  6. ^ Mavarez, J, Salazar, C A, Bermingham, E, Salcedo, C, Jiggins, C D and Linares, M, 2006. Speciation by hybridization in heliconius butterflies. Nature 441:868?71.
  7. ^ Lamas, G (Ed), 2004. Atlas of Neotropical Lepidoptera. Checklist: Part 4A Hesperioidea ? Papiionoidea. Gainesville, Scientific Publishers/Association of Tropical Lepidoptera.
  8. ^ Heliconiini, Nymphalidae Study Group website
  9. ^ Heliconius, funet.fi
  10. ^ Heliconius, Neotropical Butterflies

Taxonomy

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The Genus Heliconius is further organized into finer groupings including:

References

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  1. ^ a b Wade, Nicholas (15 August 2011). "A Supergene Paints Wings for Surviving Biological War". NY Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/science/16butterfly.html. Retrieved 17 August 2011. 
  2. ^ Baxter, S W, Papa, R, Chamberlain, N, Humphray, J S, Joron, M, Morrison, C and Ffrench-Constant, R H, 2008. Convergent evolution in the genetic basis of m?llerian mimicry in heliconius butterflies. Genetics 180: 1567?77
  3. ^ Counterman, B A, Araujo-Perez, F, Hines, H M, Baxter, S W, Mor rison, C M, Lindstrom, D P and Papa, R, 2010. Genomic hotspots for adaptation: The population genetics of M?llerian mimicry in heliconius erato. Plos Genetics 6:-.
  4. ^ Joron, M, Papa, R, Beltran, M, Chamberlain, N, Mavarez, J, Baxter, S and Abanto, M, 2006. A conserved supergene locus controls color pattern diversity in heliconius butterflies. Plos Biology 4: 1831?40
  5. ^ Brower A V Z (2011). "Hybrid speciation in Heliconius butterflies? A review and critique of the evidence". Genetica 139 (2): 589?609. doi:10.1007/s10709-010-9530-4. 
  6. ^ Mavarez, J, Salazar, C A, Bermingham, E, Salcedo, C, Jiggins, C D and Linares, M, 2006. Speciation by hybridization in heliconius butterflies. Nature 441:868?71.
  7. ^ Lamas, G (Ed), 2004. Atlas of Neotropical Lepidoptera. Checklist: Part 4A Hesperioidea ? Papiionoidea. Gainesville, Scientific Publishers/Association of Tropical Lepidoptera.
  8. ^ Heliconiini, Nymphalidae Study Group website
  9. ^ Heliconius, funet.fi
  10. ^ Heliconius, Neotropical Butterflies

Further Reading

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External links

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Sources

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Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 14:53:48