Stjernholm F, Karlsson B
Department of Zoology, University of Stockholm, Sweden.
Proc Biol Sci. 2000 Apr 22;267(1445):807-11. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2000.1075.
Reproduction in butterflies, as in many holometabolous insects, is usually constrained by the amount of nutrients the animals can collect as juveniles. In polyandric species the females can also supplement their larval-derived reserves with protein-rich donations, so-called nuptial gifts, delivered by the males at mating. Recent findings also indicate that females have access to nitrogen from the histolysis of flight muscles in the thorax. This field study examined how butterflies of the polyandric gift-giving species Pieris napi (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) use body resources in their reproduction and how the male donations affect the females use of stored reserves. The results support earlier studies, indicating that females use resources from the breakdown of thorax muscles to increase their reproductive potential and the results also indicate that males also use thorax material in their reproduction. The study also supports recent findings that the male donation increases the breakdown of body resources and thereby boosts the reproductive output of the female.
与许多全变态昆虫一样，蝴蝶的繁殖通常受其幼虫期所能获取的营养物质数量的限制。在多配性物种中，雌性还可以通过雄性在交配时提供的富含蛋白质的馈赠（即所谓的婚飞礼物）来补充其幼虫期积累的储备。最近的研究结果还表明，雌性可以从胸部飞行肌肉的组织溶解中获取氮元素。这项实地研究考察了多配性且有礼物馈赠行为的物种黄钩蛱蝶（鳞翅目：粉蝶科）的雌性如何在繁殖过程中利用身体资源，以及雄性的馈赠如何影响雌性对储存储备的利用。研究结果支持了早期的研究，表明雌性利用胸部肌肉分解产生的资源来提高其繁殖潜力，同时也表明雄性在繁殖过程中也会利用胸部物质。该研究还支持了最近的研究发现，即雄性的馈赠会增加身体资源的分解，从而提高雌性的繁殖产出。
