Data accompanying: Population-specific patterns of toxin sequestration in monarch butterflies from around the world

Animals frequently defend themselves against predators and parasites using toxins obtained from their diets. Monarch butterflies are a preeminent example of toxin sequestration and gain protection from cardenolides in their milkweed host plants. Although sequestration behavior is well-studied in monarchs, relatively little research has studied genetic variation in sequestration ability. In this study, we use the monarch’s global range expansion to test hypotheses about how cardenolide sequestration has evolved over recent evolutionary history. First, using a reciprocal rearing experiment involving six monarch populations and six associated milkweed host species, we test for whether natural selection has increased cardenolide sequestration in monarch populations reared on their sympatric hosts. Second, we test for whether contemporary species interactions affect sequestration by measuring cardenolides in monarchs from Guam, an oceanic island where bird predators have been functionally ab...动物常通过摄取饮食来源的毒素抵御捕食者与寄生虫的侵扰。帝王蝶（Monarch butterfly）便是毒素储留（toxin sequestration）现象的典型代表，它们通过取食马利筋属寄主植物中的强心苷（cardenolides）获得防御能力。尽管学界对帝王蝶的储毒行为已有较为充分的研究，但针对其储毒能力的遗传变异的相关研究仍相对匮乏。本研究借助帝王蝶的全球性分布扩张事件，检验强心苷储留能力在近代进化历程中的演化假说。其一，本研究开展一项涉及6个帝王蝶种群与6种对应马利筋寄主植物的交互饲养实验，以检验自然选择是否提升了取食同域寄主的帝王蝶种群的强心苷储留能力。其二，本研究通过测定关岛——一座鸟类捕食者已在功能上缺失的大洋岛——帝王蝶体内的强心苷含量，检验当前物种互作是否会影响储毒能力。