Resumen:
Animal vision is important for mediating multiple complex behaviors. In Heliconius
butterflies, vision guides fundamental behaviors such as oviposition, foraging, and
mate choice. Color vision in Heliconius involves ultraviolet (UV), blue and long wavelength-sensitive photoreceptors (opsins). Additionally, Heliconius possess a
duplicated UV opsin, and its expression varies widely within the genus. In Heliconius
erato, opsin expression is sexually dimorphic; only females express both UV-sensitive
opsins, enabling UV wavelength discrimination. However, the selective pressures
responsible for sex-specific differences in opsin expression and visual perception
remain unresolved. Female Heliconius invest heavily in finding suitable hostplants
for oviposition, a behavior heavily dependent on visual cues. Here, we tested the
hypothesis that UV vision is important for oviposition in H. erato and Heliconius himera
females by manipulating the availability of UV in behavioral experiments under natural
conditions. Our results indicate that UV does not influence the number of oviposition
attempts or eggs laid, and the hostplant, Passiflora punctata, does not reflect UV
wavelengths. Models of H. erato female vision suggest only minimal stimulation of
the UV opsins. Overall, these findings suggest that UV wavelengths do not directly
affect the ability of Heliconius females to find suitable oviposition sites. Alternatively,
UV discrimination could be used in the context of foraging or mate choice, but this
remains to be tested
