Metabolism exploring: metabolic rates related with sexual dimorphism in Heliconius hecale (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

Abstract

Metabolic rates estimate energy consumption of organisms during specific activities and are modulated by various factors, such as environmental conditions and morphological design of individuals. In this study, we evaluate intersexual differences in metabolic costs in the species Heliconius hecale and their relationship with flight morphological design. The results suggest that sexual dimorphism in wing shape represents an adaptive response that optimizes the metabolic rates. The observed shift in the distribution of the highest percentage of the area in the forewing (i.e. second moment of wing area) towards the distal part of the forewing in females, associated with a higher body mass relative to wing area (i.e. wing loading), leads to a reduction in metabolic expenditures despite the additional cost of producing and carrying oocytes.