Toxin structure shapes palatability in a chemically defended butterfly
Erik Todd, Aaron Denton, Dheeraj Halali, Glennis E. Julian, Adria C. LeBoeuf, Chris D. Jiggins, Érika C. Pinheiro de Castro
The paper tests if toxin structure affects palatability in Heliconius sara larvae, finding cyclopentenyl cyanogenic glucosides are more deterrent than aliphatic ones in predator assays.
bioRxiv · Sep 24, 2026 · PreprintEvolutionary Biology