Postmating female odor in Heliconius butterflies: a male-contributed antiaphrodisiac?

Genetic crosses between races of Heliconius erato that differ in the odor of female abdominal glands show that the odor originates in the male and is transferred to the female at mating. Behavioral observations strongly suggest that the odor is an antiaphrodisiac that helps to enforce monogamy among females.