The Role of Wing Pigmentation UV and Fluorescence

Authors: Rhainer GuillermoFerreira Eralci M Therézio Marcelo H Gehlen Pitágoras C Bispo Alexandre Marletta

Publish Date: 2013/08/07

Volume: 27, Issue: 1, Pages: 67-80

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Abstract

Pigmentation patterns ultraviolet reflection and fluorescent emission are often involved in mate recognition and mate quality functions in many animal taxa We investigated the role of wing ultraviolet reflection fluorescence emission and pigmentation on age and sexual signals in the damselfly Mnesarete pudica In this species wings are sexually dimorphic in colour and exhibit age dependency males and females show a smoky black colouration when young turning red in mature males while it turns brown in females First we investigated wing UV patterns through reflectance and emission spectra Second behavioural experiments were undertaken to show male and female responses to manipulated wing pigmentation and experimentally reduced UV UV Reflectance spectra of the wings of juvenile and mature males and females were used to show the differences between controls and individuals with manipulated colouration used in the behavioural experiment UVreduced females with wings painted red and control males and females were tethered and presented to conspecific males and females and their behavioral responses were recorded The male red wing pigmentation and females with red wings elicited an aggressive response in territorial males and a sexual response in females Both males and females showed neutral responses towards individuals with reduced UV Wing signals of juvenile individuals also provoked neutral responses These results suggest that UV together with pigmentation plays a role during mate recognition in males and females Other than butterflies and spiders it seems that fluorescence signals and UV reflectance can also be part of communication in odonatesWe acknowledge Ana Carolina Vilarinho for field assistance We thank Gregory Grether for valuable comments on the manuscript RGF thanks CAPES Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de nível Superior for financial support MHG thanks FAPESP São Paulo Research Foundation for financial support projects 4617–6 and 8399–9 that allowed buildup of the fluorescence confocal microscope and Professors Dr Johan Hofkens and Dr Kris P F Janssen for the use of the SIS software from MDS Laboratory of Department of Chemistry of Katholieke Universiteit Leuven EMT and AM thanks to FAPEMIG Minas Gerais Research Foundation CAPES CNPq National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development and nanobio/INCT National Institute of Science and Technology PCB thanks to FAPESP 04/097118 09/532337 12/211968 and to CNPq 477349/20072 301652/20082 30757712011–2 for continuous support

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