Butterfly, black swallowtail

Metabolic Detoxification of Linear and Angular Furanocoumarins by Caterpillars of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly... 

Most insect herbivores appear to be rather effectively repelled by furanocoumarin-containing plants (21-24). A notable exception to this generalization occurs among some butterflies of the family Paplllonldae, whose caterpillars are adapted to feed successfully and in fact preferentially on plants that contain linear, but not angular, furanocoumarlns (22). These circumstances prompted us to undertake studies with the black swallowtail butterfly (Papilio polyxenes) and radiolabeled furanocoumarlns in attempts to elucidate the nature of the Insect/furanocoumarln Interactions Involved. 

Figure 2. Major metabolites of xanthotoxin (8-methoxypsoralen) in last-stage larvae of the black swallowtail butterfly (Papilio polyxenes) and the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda).

Oviposition stimulation. Ethanol (95%) extract of the aerial parts was active on black swallowtail butterfly . 

DC 129 Feeny, P., K. Sachdev, L. Rosenberry, and M. Carter. Luteolin-7-0-(6 -0 malonyl) beta-D glucoside and DC140 tranS chlorogenic acid oviposition stimulants for the black swallowtail butterfly. Phytochemistry 1988 27(11) 3439-3448. 

The majority of swallowtail butterflies of the genus Papilio (family Papilionidae) exclusively utilize plants of the family Rutaceae as hosts, with a few species exploiting limited plant species of the families Apiaceae or Lauraceae. The North American black swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polyxenes, a specialist on members of carrot family (Apiaceae), has already been shown to lay eggs in response to a mixture of two chemotactile stimulants, luteolin 7-0-(6"-0-malonyl)-/3-D-glucoside and trawr-chlorogenic acid, identified from one of its major host plants, Daucus carota (wild carrot). Further study revealed that the oviposition response by the butterfly to another host plant, Pastinaca sativa (wild parsnip), was evoked by a combination of tyramine (1), trans-chlorogenic acid, and a neutral fraction from the plant.4... 

Bull, D.L., Ivie, G.W., Beier, R.C., and Pryor, N.W., In vitro metabolism of a linear furanocoumarin (8-methoxypsoralen, xanthotoxin) by mixed-function oxidases of larvae of black swallowtail butterfly and fall army worm, /. Chem. Ecol., 12,885,1986. 

Interestingly, the black swallowtail butterfly has maximized its metabolic detoxification processes allowing its larva to feed on plants with a high linear furanocoumarin content (40) Psoralen, bergapten, xanthotoxin, and isopimpinellin are... 

IviE, G. W., D. L. Bull, R. C. Beier, and N. W. Pryor, Metabolic detoxification of linear and angular furanocoumarins by caterpillars of the black swallowtail butterfly, in Allelochemicals Role in Agriculture and Forestry (G. R. Waller, ed.), ACS Symposium Series 330, 455-462, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 1987. 

Oviposition by females of the black swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polyxeneSy was stimulated by tarsal contact with ethanolic extracts of carrot foliage, Daucus carota. Two of the stimulants were identified as -chlorogenic acid and lute-... 

The close relationships of larval growth rates and efficiencies (see Fig. 7.1 Waldbauer, 1968) with leaf nitrogen content is illustrated in Fig. 7.2. The symbols represent the mean performance ( SE) of the black swallowtail butterfly, Papiliopolyxenes, larvae for 11 different species of the Umbelliferae family at particular times of the growing season. The poor correspondence of plant N... 

Later, Feeny and collaborators (Feeny et al. 1983, 1988) compared several bioassays to determine the chemical(s) in wild carrot, Daucus carota, eliciting oviposition by the black swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polyxenes. A number of artificial substrates were tried, including artificial leaves made of (1) green construction paper (2) agar, cellulose powder, and green food coloring (following... 

Erickson, J.M. P. Feeny. 1974. Sinigrin a chemical barrier to the black swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polyxenes. Ecology 55 103-111. 

Queen, Eastern Black Swallowtail, and Atala Butterflies.530... 

Butterfly larvae (Monarch, Danaus plexippus Queen, Danaus gillipus Eastern Black Swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes asterius and Atala, Eurnaceus atala florida) were collected in South Florida approximately seven to eight days after hatching. The larvae were carefully dissected to remove the gut to prevent the contamination of the epidermis with the intestinal contents. The epidermis was... 

Butterflies of the genus Papilio normally do not feed on plants that contain glucosinolates. Glucosinolates are toxic to the black swallowtail Papilio polyxenes) when larvae of this insect eat celery leaves that have been infiltrated with potassium allylglucosinolate (sinigrin) (Fig. 17.1) (15) at a concentration of 0.1% fresh weight (Chew, 1988 David and Gardiner, 1966). 

FIGURE 25.1 (See color insert following page 336.) Larval butterflies have distinctive coloration patterns (a) Monarch (Danaus plexippus yellow, white, and black), (b) Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes asterius yellow, black, and green), (c) Queen (Danaus gillipus black, white, and yellow, some red coloration is also observable in this specimen), and (d) Atala (Eurnaceus atala florida red with yellow spots). 

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