The chemical basis of attraction of ithomiine butterflies to plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids

Abstract

The plantHeliotropium indicum L. (Boraginaceae) contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids. When dried, it is a powerful attractant for male ithomiine and danaine butterflies, which congregate and feed at its dead shoots. The butterflies use alkaloids derived from the plants for the formation of chemicals with pheromone/allomone activity. Baiting with alkaloids and “esterifying acids,” which form a part of the alkaloid molecules, indicates that a volatile product derived from the esterifying acids attracts males to the plants, where intact alkaloids then act as phagostimulants.