Gregarious Oviposition and Clutch Size Adjustment by a Heliconius Butterfly1

Robert D. Reed

doi:10.1646/03139

We can help you reset your password using the email address linked to your BioOne Complete account.

Registered users receive a variety of benefits including the ability to customize email alerts, create favorite journals list, and save searches. Please note that a BioOne web account does not automatically grant access to full-text content. An institutional or society member subscription is required to view non-Open Access content. Contact helpdesk@bioone.org with any questions.

All Fields are Required

First Name

Last/Family Name

Password

Password Requirements: Minimum 8 characters, must include as least one uppercase, one lowercase letter, and one number or permitted symbol Valid Symbols for password:
~ Tilde
! Exclamation Mark
@ At sign
$ Dollar sign
^ Caret
( Opening Parenthesis
) Closing Parenthesis
_ Underscore
. Period

Confirm Password

Web Account created successfully

Robert D. Reed¹

¹Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Biology, 1007 E. Lowell St., University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, U.S.A. reed@u.arizona.edu

Abstract

Female Heliconius hewitsoni butterflies were found to aggregate during oviposition, producing multi-parent egg clutches. This behavior occurred when host plants were locally plentiful, indicating that females chose to oviposit gregariously. Collective clutch size correlated with host growth rate and with the number of females contributing to a clutch. Eggs did not positively bias host plant growth. Collective clutch size adjustment may represent a mechanism for facilitating larval aggregation while reducing intraspecific competition.

Citation Download Citation

Robert D. Reed "Gregarious Oviposition and Clutch Size Adjustment by a Heliconius Butterfly," BIOTROPICA 35(4), 555-559, (1 December 2003). https://doi.org/10.1646/03139

Published: 1 December 2003