Oviposition behavior is not affected by ultraviolet light in a butterfly with sexually-dimorphic expression of a UV-sensitive opsin.

Animal vision is important for mediating multiple complex behaviors. In butterflies, vision guides fundamental behaviors such as oviposition, foraging, and mate choice. Color vision in involves ultraviolet (UV), blue and long-wavelength-sensitive photoreceptors (opsins). Additionally, possess a duplicated UV opsin, and its expression varies widely within the genus. In , 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 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 and 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, , does not reflect UV wavelengths. Models of female vision suggest only minimal stimulation of the UV opsins. Overall, these findings suggest that UV wavelengths do not directly affect the ability of 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.