Abstract
Many Nymphalidae butterflies possess ears, but little is known about their hearing. The tympanal membrane of butterflies typically comprises distinct inner and outer regions innervated by auditory nerve branches NII and NIII and their respective sensory organs. Using the Blue Morpho butterfly (Morpho peleides) as a model, we characterized threshold and suprathreshold responses of NII and NIII. Both are broadly tuned to 1-20 kHz with best frequencies at 1-3 kHz, but NIII is significantly more sensitive than NII. The compound action potentials (CAPs) of both branches increase their first peak amplitudes and areas in response to higher sound levels. NII and NIII differed in their suprathreshold CAP responses to sound frequencies, with stronger responses to 1-3 and 4-6 kHz, for NIII and NII respectively; results that are consistent with tympanal membrane mechanics. These results indicate that butterflies are capable of amplitude and frequency discrimination. Both auditory branches responded to playbacks of the flight and calls of predatory birds. We propose that the ears of butterflies, like those of many vertebrate prey such as some rabbits and lizards, function primarily in predator risk assessment.
References
Jun 13, 1977·Biological cybernetics·L J Adam
Apr 1, 1996·Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology·D D Yager
Aug 2, 2001·Die Naturwissenschaften·A Stumpner, D von Helversen
Jun 24, 2003·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Annemarie SurlykkeIvar Hasenfuss
Jul 15, 2004·Microscopy Research and Technique·Jayne E Yack
Jul 15, 2004·Microscopy Research and Technique·Andrew C Mason, Paul A Faure
Aug 13, 2004·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Darrell J Kemp, Christer Wiklund
Apr 5, 2008·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·Karla A LaneJayne E Yack
Aug 30, 2008·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Holger R GoerlitzBjörn M Siemers
Oct 20, 2009·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Kathleen M LucasJayne E Yack
Dec 25, 2009·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Ryo Ito, Akira Mori
Aug 24, 2010·Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology·Gerlind U C LehmannHans-Joachim Pflüger
Aug 16, 2013·Biology Letters·J P FournierJ E Yack
Nov 20, 2013·Global Change Biology·Heather M KharoubaMark Vellend
Sep 1, 2014·Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology·Kathleen M LucasJayne E Yack
Nov 10, 2014·Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology·Johannes Strauß, Andreas Stumpner
Jan 28, 2015·Current Opinion in Neurobiology·Patrick A Guerra, Steven M Reppert
Oct 20, 2015·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Shiyu SuKrushnamegh Kunte
Jan 28, 2017·Journal of Ethology·Tsuyoshi Takeuchi
Sep 1, 1971·Oecologia·Allen M Young
Citations
Jul 28, 2020·Integrative and Comparative Biology·Jayne E YackMairelys Naranjo
Oct 20, 2018·Biology Letters·Penghui SunJayne E Yack
Oct 23, 2019·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Akito Y KawaharaJesse W Breinholt
Aug 28, 2021·Methods and Protocols·Yi Peng TohAntónia Monteiro