A1 Journal article (refereed)
Sensory Organ Investment Varies with Body Size and Sex in the Butterfly Pieris napi (2021)

Moradinour, Z., Wiklund, C., Jie, V. W., Restrepo, C. E., Gotthard, K., Miettinen, A., Perl, C. D., & Baird, E. (2021). Sensory Organ Investment Varies with Body Size and Sex in the Butterfly Pieris napi. Insects, 12(12), Article 1064. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12121064

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Moradinour, Zahra; Wiklund, Christer; Jie, Vun Wen; Restrepo, Carlos E.; Gotthard, Karl; Miettinen, Arttu; Perl, Craig D.; Baird, Emily

Journal or series: Insects

eISSN: 2075-4450

Publication year: 2021

Publication date: 27/11/2021

Volume: 12

Issue number: 12

Article number: 1064

Publisher: MDPI AG

Publication country: Switzerland

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12121064

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/79302

Abstract

In solitary insect pollinators such as butterflies, sensory systems must be adapted for multiple tasks, including nectar foraging, mate-finding, and locating host-plants. As a result, the energetic investments between sensory organs can vary at the intraspecific level and even among sexes. To date, little is known about how these investments are distributed between sensory systems and how it varies among individuals of different sex. We performed a comprehensive allometric study on males and females of the butterfly Pieris napi where we measured the sizes and other parameters of sensory traits including eyes, antennae, proboscis, and wings. Our findings show that among all the sensory traits measured, only antenna and wing size have an allometric relationship with body size and that the energetic investment in different sensory systems varies between males and females. Moreover, males had absolutely larger antennae and eyes, indicating that they invest more energy in these organs than females of the same body size. Overall, the findings of this study reveal that the size of sensory traits in P. napi are not necessarily related to body size and raises questions about other factors that drive sensory trait investment in this species and in other insect pollinators in general.

Keywords: morphology (biology); sense organs; eyes; wings; size; insects; green-veined white; imaging; x-ray examination

Free keywords: Pieris napi; eye; antenna; wing; proboscis; allometry; sensory system; body size

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2021

JUFO rating: 1