Advisor: Harald Krenn

Master's Defensio

Wednesday December 4th, 2024, 11:30 CET
SR 4.1, UBB
Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna

Abstract

This study examines the proboscis morphology and sensory structures related to nectar-feeding in butterflies of the family Papilionidae. The light microscopical analysis of the galeae of 21 species from all subfamilies focuses on the sensilla styloconica in the drinking region near the tip and sensilla basiconica of the food canal. The results indicate a relatively uniform proboscis morphology across Papilionidae compared to other butterfly and moth families, such as Nymphalidae and Noctuoidea, suggesting. The monotypical Baroninae, the sister taxon to all other Papilionidae, show plesiomorphic characters of the galeae and sensilla styloconica similar to the Parnassiinae. The studied representatives of the Papilioninae show derived morphology of sensilla styloconica which have hemispherical shape, are very short and barely protrude the galea cuticle at the proboscis tip. This study provides insights into the morphological adaptations to nectar-  feeding and the evolutionary history of the Papilionidae. It emphasizes how proboscis morphology can reflect the evolutionary pressures in context with feeding ecological that shaped the diversification of species within the Papilionoidea superfamily.