Combined roles of contact stimulant and deterrents in assessment of host-plant quality by ovipositing zebra swallowtail butterflies

Journal of Chemical Ecology
Meena Haribal, P Feeny

Abstract

Zebra swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) butterflies are stimulated to oviposit by a single compound, 3-caffeoyl-muco-quinic acid (1). Analysis of the aqueous extracts of the leaves of the host. Asimina triloba, showed that they contained stimulant 1, its isomer (2), and the flavonoids rutin (3) and nicotiflorine (4) as major components. We compared the concentrations of compounds 1-4 in terminal leaves (TL) and expanded leaves (EL) of the host plants at four different times throughout the growing season. In spring, the concentration of 1 was highest in TLs, and flavonoids were not detectable or present at low levels. As the season progressed, however, the concentrations of flavonoids increased, reached maxima by late summer, and then decreased as the plants started senescing. There were also significant differences in the concentrations of these compounds between TLs and ELs. In a choice assay with model leaves, we tested equivalent amounts of post-dichloromethane aqueous extracts made in spring (May) and in fall (September). September extracts received significantly fewer approaches and eggs. In greenhouse experiments with potted A. triloba plants, the butterflies chose some leaves to lay eggs, while others were rejected or ig...Continue Reading

Citations

Aug 24, 2007·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Sofia GripenbergTomas Roslin
Nov 17, 2011·Nature Communications·Katsuhisa OzakiHiroshi Yoshikawa
May 20, 2021·Environmental Entomology·Alexander N MullinsJames S Adelman

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