Not only are these beautiful moths resistant to highly toxic plants, but they also use the poison to seduce their mate

All species of animals can die if they ingest pyrrolizidine alkaloids, a powerful poison produced by various plants, including the famous ragwort. But this does not matter to a small animal. The pink butterfly even uses poison to seduce its partner.

Moths, also called pink butterflies or in English Bella mites Mentioned, specifically eating the leaves and seeds of the alkaloids plant CrotalariaIt is a type of tropical legume. It doesn't make them sick, but they use the poison to protect their eggs and deter predators. Females also produce pheromones to attract males.

A look at the genome
But exactly how they managed to ingest the poison that kills livestock has until now been a mystery. So the researchers analyzed the moth genomes and discovered some specific genes that provide immunity to the toxins.

after that They studied As well as the genomes of 150 museum specimens, some of which are more than a century old, to determine their whereabouts Bella mites Their closest relatives already come today. Finally, they also combed through genetic data to find an explanation for the moths' complex wing patterns.

Old mites
The Florida researchers are not new to this field. They have been studying pink butterflies for fifteen years. They previously discovered that animals can live for up to fifty days. This is four to five times larger than the average butterfly. Many butterflies lay eggs only once, and then die from old age or from being eaten Bella mites They do not suffer from the latter, because they can defend themselves with poison. As a result, genes that increase life expectancy are passed on to the next generation.

“It makes sense that something that can defend itself chemically would live longer, because even if it gets caught, the predator usually has to let go, allowing the butterfly to continue flying,” explains researcher Andrei Surakov from the Space Research Institute. Florida Museum of Natural History.

Very colorful wings
Pink moths are found mainly in eastern North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. What's also special: unlike most other moths, they are not nocturnal. And also because they don't have to fear predators. In fact, they like to stand out: their wings feature a bright pink, pearly, onyx and sulfur-yellow pattern that birds and insects can see from afar. But any predator that hunts them quickly corrects its mistake. “Banana spiders pull them out of their web,” says Surakov, who also knows that wolf spiders and birds do everything they can to avoid the moths. “When caught, they produce a foamy liquid that tastes bad and is composed almost entirely of alkaloids.”

When females are ready to mate, they release a plume of alkaline aerosols from the plants they eat as caterpillars. Males are attracted to this scent, so they follow it until they find the female. They then perform a ritual in which they gently touch the female's head with two thin, retractable body parts that resemble a dandelion and are infused with pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

Farewell gift
If the female finds that the male has stored enough alkaloids, she will initiate mating. When they're finished, the male leaves behind a parting gift, consisting of sperm and yes, more toxins. The female will use this along with her alkaloid reserve to inject the eggs with poison. It is unique that the male contributes to protecting the eggs in this way.

But how can these mites not get sick from the highly toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids? It turns out that they have a special enzyme that oxidizes the toxin molecule, making it harmless. However, if a predator eats a butterfly, the process is reversed and the alkaloid regains its destructive power.

Plant defense
Pyrrrolizidine alkaloids were probably developed primarily as a defense mechanism for plants. Then it became a trick for moths. However, Surakov wanted to know how Bella mites They learned about the anti-venom enzyme and how they were able to preserve it in a race between plants and moths that lasted millions of years.

This is probably because the pink mite contains not one, but two copies of the gene that ensures the production of the special enzyme. They may have acquired the second gene through a process called gene duplication, while other species, such as many plants, developed new traits.

Ingenious mechanism
The researchers also found two versions of a gene that is partly involved in antioxidant production. Surakov suspects that these genes are linked to the moths' ability to neutralize alkaloids and their higher life expectancy. “Some types of stress on biological systems lead to increased life expectancy. The interaction of mites with alkaloids may be not only the reason for their logical longevity, but also one of the mechanisms behind it.” Overall, this beautiful, colorful creature is as genius as it is dangerous.