Danainae (Lep.) and 1,2-dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloid-containing plants — with reference to observations made in the New Hebrides

Abstract

Male butterflies of the closely related nymphalid subfamilies Danainae and Ithomiinae visit and feed at dead and withering plants containing 1,2-dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids. These visits are associated with the acquisition of alkaloid precursors of chemicals used by the males during courtship and for territory marking. A number of aspects of this unusual association, including its origins, are discussed with special reference to observations made in the New Hebrides.