Differential effect of tannic acid on two tree-feeding Lepidoptera: implications for theories of plant anti-herbivore chemistry

Abstract

Feeding efficiencies of ultimate instar larvae of two polyphagous tree-feeding Lepidoptera, Malacosoma disstria (Lasiocampidae) and Orgyia leucostigma (Liparidae), were measured on artificial diets containing from 0% to 8% tannic acid. Relative growth rate (RGR) of O. leucostigma was not affected by up to 8% tannic acid, suggesting that O. leucostigma has evolved an effective counteradaptation to hydrolyzable tannins. In contrast, as little as 0.5% tannic acid caused a significant reduction in RGR of M. disstria, due both to reduced efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD) and reduced relative consumption rate (RCR), and caused a significant increase in mortality during the pupal stage. Moreover, when reared from hatching on tannin-containing diets, no M. disstria larvae survived past the fourth instar.Although tannins are commonly referred to as "digestibility-reducing substances", tannic acid did not reduce the ability of M. disstria or O. leucostigma larvae to digest either the whole diet or nitrogen contained in the diet. For M. disstria, tannic acid acts as a toxin and a feeding deterrent, but not as a digestibility-reducing substance. Growing evidence that tannins commonly act as toxins warrants a reassessment of their role in anti-herbivore chemistry.

Seasonal changes in birch leaf chemistry: are there trade-offs between leaf growth and accumulation of phenolics?

“…Cooper et al 1988;Robbins et al 1991;Hagerman and Robbins 1993) or by toxicity (e.g. Lindroth and Batzli 1984;Steinly and Berenbaum 1985;Karowe 1989;Mole et al 1990). Concentrations of soluble proanthocyanidins were highest at midsummer and in the autumn, in agreement with the pattern of condensed tannins in oak leaves (Feeny 1970;Faeth 1986).…”

Stability of phenolic and protein measures in excised oak foliage

“…They have been shown to have both positive (Bernays, 1981;Bernays et al, 1983) and negative (Bernays, 1981;Berenbaum, 1983;Manuwoto et al, 1985;Karowe, 1989) effects on the feeding behavior and performance of insect herbivores. For example, the secondary chemistry of oaks and other tree species favored by the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) is comprised primarily of phenolics (Gibbs, 1974), and several classes of these phenolics have been shown to influence gypsy moth growth, fecundity, and mortality (Keating et al, 1988;Kleiner, 1989).…”

“…In this study, significant differences between sample times only indicates changes in the measures of foliage quality. Because of the differential tolerance to tannins by various herbivores (Bernays, 1978;Berenbaum, 1983;Karowe, 1989), the biological impact of even the smallest change in phenolics will be species specific.…”

Bitki Sekonder Maddelerinin Herbivor Böceklere Etkileri

“…O. leucostigma larvaları kuru ağırlık olarak %8'lik tanik asitli besinin tüketiminden etkilenmezken, %0,5 gibi çok düşük miktarda tanik asitli besinin M. disstria larvalarının, tüketim ve sindirim oranını düşürdüğü ve bunun sonucu olarak da büyüme oranını azalttığı bulunmuştur. (Karowe, 1989). O. leucostigma larvalarının ortabağırsak sıvısındaki antioksidanların yüksek konsantrasyonu ile ilişkili olarak fenol oksidasyonu sınırlanmakta ve yenen tanenleri tolere edebilme yeteneği artmaktadır (Barbehenn ve Martin, 1992;Barbehenn ve ark., 2001).…”