Quantitative and qualitative effects of larval diet on male scent secretions ofEstigmene acrea, Phragmatobia foliginosa, andPyrrharctia isabella (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae)
- 1 March 1989
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Journal of Chemical Ecology
- Vol. 15 (3), 1077-1093
- https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01015201
Abstract
In feeding experiments with insects reared in the laboratory, the presence of the dihydropyrrolizines hydroxydanaidal and danaidal in the male scent organs (coremata) of the arctiids,Estigmene acrea (Drury),Phragmatobia fuliginosa (L.), andPyrrharctia isabella (J.E. Smith), was shown to depend on the presence of a source of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) in the larval diet.Phragmatobia males given an artificial diet supplemented with the powdered roots of the PA-containing plantSymphytum officinale L. (comfrey) produced more hydroxydanaidal than danaidal, whereas males given an artificial diet supplemented with dried whole plants of another PA-containing species,Senecio vulgaris L., produced more danaidal than hydroxydanaidal.Pyrrharctia males produced hydroxydanaidal with little if any danaidal, whether the source of PAs was comfrey orS. vulgaris. A behavioral bioassay showed that the coremata of PA-deniedPyrrharctia male progeny of PA-denied parents were pheromonally inactive, whereas those of PA-denied male progeny of PA-supplied parents (male and/or female) were often active. This indicates that a small amount of pheromone is made from PAs transferred from the female to her eggs and that males effect copulatory transfers of PAs that are, in turn, passed to the eggs by the mated female. Field observations ofPhragmatobia andPyrrharctia larvae feeding on sources of PAs were reported. The PA monocrotaline was shown to be a feeding stimulant forPyrrharctia larvae.This publication has 28 references indexed in Scilit:
- Dihydropyrrolizine attractants for arctiid moths that visit plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloidsJournal of Chemical Ecology, 1989
- Quantitative and qualitative variation in male pheromones ofPhragmatobia fuliginosa andPyrrharctia isabella (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae)Journal of Chemical Ecology, 1987
- Insects pharmacophagously utilizing defensive plant chemicals (Pyrrolizidine alkaloids)The Science of Nature, 1986
- Pyrrolizidine alkaloids quantitatively regulate both scent organ morphogenesis and pheromone biosynthesis in maleCreatonotos moths (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae)Journal of Comparative Physiology A, 1985
- Male Lek Formation and Female Calling in a Population of the Arctiid Moth Estigmene acreaScience, 1982
- Host-plant pyrrolizidine alkaloids inNyctemera annulata Boisduval: Their persistence through the life-cycle and transfer to a parasiteCellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 1979
- The chemical basis of attraction of ithomiine butterflies to plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloidsJournal of Chemical Ecology, 1976
- Dihydropyrrolizine secretions associated with coremata ofUtetheisa moths (family Arctiidae)Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 1972
- Studies on Constituents of Crude Drugs. I. Alkaloids of Symphytum officinale LINN.CHEMICAL & PHARMACEUTICAL BULLETIN, 1968
- THE ALKALOIDS OF EUPATORIUM MACULATUM L.Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 1963