Abstract
Although phylogenetically nested within the moths, butterflies have diverged extensively in a number of life history traits. Whereas moths rely greatly on chemical signals, visual advertisement is the hallmark of mate finding in butterflies. In the context of courtship, however, male chemical signals are widespread in both groups although they likely have multiple evolutionary origins. Here, we report that in males of the butterfly Bicyclus anynana, courtship scents are produced de novo via biosynthetic pathways shared with females of many moth species. We show that two of the pheromone components that play a major role in mate choice, namely the (Z)-9-tetradecenol and hexadecanal, are produced through the activity of a fatty acyl Δ11-desaturase and two specialized alcohol-forming fatty acyl reductases. Our study provides the first evidence of conservation and sharing of ancestral genetic modules for the production of FA-derived pheromones over a long evolutionary timeframe thereby reconciling mate communication in moths and butterflies.
Highlights
Phylogenetically nested within the moths, butterflies have diverged extensively in a number of life history traits
Our first aim was to experimentally test putative biosynthetic routes that could lead to the production of adult male pheromone components in B. anynana, the Z9-14:OH and 16:Ald, two compounds likely produced de novo as part of the insect fatty acid (FA) metabolism
We first investigated the biochemical basis of production of the FA derivatives Z9-14:OH and 16:Ald, the two key pheromone components in Bicyclus butterfly males, and demonstrate that they are produced de novo along pheromone biosynthetic routes similar to female moths
Summary
Phylogenetically nested within the moths, butterflies have diverged extensively in a number of life history traits. The ca 18,000 described species of extant butterflies (Papilionoidea and Hesperiidae)[4] have diverged extensively from their moth relatives in a number of life history traits including among others a diurnal lifestyle, bright appearances, body structures, antennal shapes and mate-finding behaviours[5,6,7]. Bicyclus anynana (Nymphalidae) males produce a pheromone blend comprising a phytol-derived compound, the (2R, 6R, 10R)[6,10,14] trimethylpentadecan-2-ol together with the fatty acid (FA) derivatives (Z)-9-tetradecenol (Z9-14:OH) and hexadecanal (16:Ald)[13,18] This pheromone bouquet is released during a ritualized courtship display from two sets of modified scale structures—the so-called androconia—located on the forewings and hindwings[18,19]. Two of the male pheromone components, namely Z9-14:OH and 16:Ald, are structurally identical to many known female moth sex pheromone components[20,21]; their origin remains uncertain due to the multiple alternative routes possibly leading to these chemical structures
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