while flying around the range that the species inhabits. This requires the ability to distinguish H. melpomene females from those of other species, a key adaptation of the butterfly. Female/male interactions Male H. melpomene possess abdominal claspers that are used to grasp females for forced copulations. During mating, the male passes nutrients in a spermatophore; the female can use this nuptial gift to nourish the fertilizing eggs inside her. In addition to the spermatophore, males also deliver a pheromone to the female that is an antiaphrodisiac to other males. This increases the likelihood of the male's reproductive success by preventing the female from mating with any other males, which ensures that only the original male's sperm will be used to fertilize the female's eggs.. The pheromone is produced only by males and is secreted to identify themselves to other males, so the antiaphrodisiac works by making the female smell like a male. After a period of time the pheromone wears off and the female is able to mate again, which she will do several times throughout her life. Physiology Vision Due to a duplication in a gene for UV light detection, H. melpomene individuals are capable of distinguishing between a wider range of yellow shades than other butterfly species. Additionally, when looking for mates, the butterflies distinguish conspecifics from hybrids and heterospecifics by detecting subtle changes in marking patterns on wings. These adaptations allow the butterflies to avoid genetically costly mates, as hybrid females are sterile and hybrid males in this system are less fit due to disruptive sexual selection. Gustation/tasting While both sexes of H. melpomene possess taste receptors on their hindlegs, only the female butterflies have the receptors on the forelegs; this is an example of sexual dimorphism. The taste receptors are used by both sexes in order to find food and mates, but the female also uses the sense to find suitable host plants for her eggs. These taste receptors are highly specialized due to the coevolution with the Passiflora plant. Gallery References Further reading External links Heliconius melpomene at the Tree of Life Web Project "Heliconius Kluk, 1780" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms melpomene Butterflies of Central America Nymphalidae of South America Butterflies of North America Lepidoptera of Brazil Lepidoptera of Colombia Lepidoptera of Venezuela Fauna of the Amazon Butterflies described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus