Plant chemistry and the evolution of host specificity: new evidence from heliconius and passiflora

Abstract

Larval growth rates of Heliconius butterflies do not closely parallel host plant choice, an indication that factors other than host plant chemistry are important in evolving host specificity. High growth rate in one species is correlated with reduction in number of palatable host species. This suggests a mechanism by which ecologically restricted species become progressively biochemically specialized.