Pollen Feeding and Reproductive Biology of Heliconius Butterflies

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.69.6.1403
• Publication Date: 2006-05-31T06:36:33Z
• Authors: Lawrence E. Gilbert
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; 01 natural sciences

Butterflies of the neotropical Genus Heliconius feed on pollen. This is the first known instance in butterflies of a habit that is well known for other insects. The butterflies remove amino acids and proteins from pollen; this feeding innovation plays a role in the reproductive and population biology of these insects. It is suggested that other animals may use pollen in a similar fashion.