Butterfly-Plant Coevolution: Has Passiflora adenopoda Won the Selectional Race with Heliconiine Butterflies?

Abstract

Hooklike trichomes of Passiflora adenopoda provide a specific, effectively absolute defense against heliconiine butterfly larvae, a major class of Passiflora herbivores. It is suggested that since mechanical defenses are usually more selective in their action against herbivores, they usually are evolved by a plant only after it has accumulated a series of chemical defenses.