Papilio butterflies, oviposition

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... 

For species whose larvae are specialist feeders, finding suitable plants for oviposition is of great importance. Com earworm moths, Heliothis armigera, will oviposit on twine impregnated with an extract of com silk (15.). The rice stemborer, Chilo oleiadellus. female will be attracted to and oviposit near a component of rice plants identified as p-methylacetophenone (16). Some of these oviposition attractants are contact materials and, thus, are probably of no use in practical applications. This is the case for many of the butterflies of the Nymphalid family. The Indian butterfly, Papilio demoleus. seems to require some non-volatile component in citrus leaves to induce oviposition, although it seems to be attracted, at least partially, to the odor of the leaves (17.). 

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-... 

Honda, K., Flavanone glycosides as oviposition stimulants in a papilionid butterfly Papilio protenor, J. Chem. EcoL, 12, 1999-2010 (1986). 

Nishida, R., T. Ohsugi, S. Kobubo, and H. Fukami, Oviposition stimulants of a citrus-feeding swallowtail butterfly, Papilio xu-thus, Experientia, 43, 342-344 (1987). 

Ohsugi, T., R. Nishida, and H. Fukami, Oviposition stimulant of Papilio xunthus, a citrus feeding swallowtail butterfly, Agric. Biol. Chem., 49, 1897-1900 (1985). 

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... 

Honda, K. 1990. Identification of host-plant chemicals stimulating ovipositions by swallowtail butterfly, Papilio protenor, J. Chem. Ecol. 16 325-337. 

Honda, K. N. Hayashi. 1995. A flavanoid glucoside, Phellamurin, regulates differential oviposition on a rutaceous plant, Phellodentron amurense, by two sympatric swallowtail butterflies, Papilio protenor and P. xuthus. J. Chem. Ecol. 21 1531-1539. 

Saxena, K.N. S. Goyal. 1978, Host-plant relations of the citrus butterfly Papilio demoleus L. orientational and ovipositional responses. Entomol. Exp. Appl. 24 1-10. 

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