Preference for high concentrations of plant pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the specialist arctiid moth Utetheisa ornatrix depends on previous experience

Hoina, Adam; Martins, Carlos Henrique Zanini; Trigo, José Roberto; Cogni, Rodrigo

doi:10.1007/s11829-012-9232-1

Cited by 13 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…In a series of experiments in which PAs were added to an artificial diet at different concentrations, fitness components of this moth were affected only slightly or not at all by PAs, suggesting that sequestration in this species does not incur in fitness cost . In addition, larvae showed preference for feeding on diets with higher concentrations of PAs in choice experiments (Hoina et al 2012). These results indicate that for some specific plant defenses, specialist herbivores can be positively affected by sequestration without any negative effect or fitness costs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 69%

“…We measured H. virescens larval survival on an artificial diet based on Phaseolus beans (Signoretti et al 2008) to which we added different concentrations of PAs. PAs were extracted from leaves and flowers of Senecio brasiliensis (Asteraceae) as in Trigo et al (1993), and after crystallization with acetone, the PA extract was 100% pure (Hoina et al 2012). We used S. brasiliensis as the PA source because the yield (~4 mg/g) of these alkaloids is higher than in C. pallida seeds.…”

Section: Larval Performance On Artificial Diet Supplemented With Pasmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this study, we tested the effects of Crotalaria pallida (Fabaceae: Papilionoideae) defenses on the generalist, non-specialized model herbivore Heliothis virescens (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). We used this herbivore as a model generalist to contrast with our previous results on the specialist U. ornatrix (Cogni & Futuyma 2009, Hoina et al 2012, Franco & Cogni 2013. Heliothis virescens is an economically important polyphagous pest that can develop in more than 100 plant species belonging to more than 36 families (Blanco et al 2008, Karpinski et al 2014.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids Negatively Affect a Generalist Herbivore Feeding on the Chemically Protected Legume Crotalaria pallida

Cogni¹,

Trigo

2016

Neotrop Entomol

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Plant secondary metabolites can have opposing effects on adapted specialist and non-adapted, generalist herbivores. In this study, we used Heliothis virescens (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) as a generalist, non-adapted model herbivore to test the possible effects of Crotalaria pallida (Fabaceae: Papilionoideae) defenses on herbivore performance. Neonate H. virescens larvae were able to consume C. pallida leaves and fruits and grow for a few instars, but none of them survived to pupation. We added isolated pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) to an artificial diet at different concentrations, and PA concentration significantly affected the number of larvae that achieved pupation. Larval survival was not reduced at a PA concentration similar to the concentration on green seeds of C. pallida, but it was significantly reduced at PA concentration 5 and 100 times higher. These results suggest that PAs in isolation are not the defense responsible for the mortality in fresh C. pallida plants, indicating the importance of other possible defenses. The negative effect of PAs on fitness of the non-adapted, generalist herbivore is in agreement with few previous studies, but it is in clear contrast to a previous study on the effects of PAs on the adapted specialist herbivore Utetheisa ornatrix (L.) that were able to sequester PAs with no fitness costs.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 69%

Section: Larval Performance On Artificial Diet Supplemented With Pasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids Negatively Affect a Generalist Herbivore Feeding on the Chemically Protected Legume Crotalaria pallida

Cogni¹,

Trigo

2016

Neotrop Entomol

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“…Dosedependent fitness costs to adapted herbivores have been welldocumented for cardenolides, reviewed in Agrawal et al (2012). By contrast, studies on the moth Utetheisia ornatrix (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), an adapted PA-sequestering herbivore of Crotalaria (Fabaceae), suggest no fitness costs from increasing concentrations of PAs in their food (Cogni et al, 2012) and a preference for higher concentrations under certain circumstances (Hoina et al, 2013). Likewise, experiments with specialist and generalist herbivores on Cynoglossum officinale (Boraginaceae) indicate that PAs are a defence only against unadapted generalists (Van dam et al, 1995).…”

Section: Why Cardenolides and Not Pas?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of pyrrolizidine alkaloid biosynthesis in Apocynaceae: revisiting the defence de‐escalation hypothesis

et al. 2018

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Summary Plants produce specialized metabolites for their defence. However, specialist herbivores adapt to these compounds and use them for their own benefit. Plants attacked predominantly by specialists may be under selection to reduce or eliminate production of co‐opted chemicals: the defence de‐escalation hypothesis.We studied the evolution of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) in Apocynaceae, larval host plants for PA‐adapted butterflies (Danainae, milkweed and clearwing butterflies), to test if the evolutionary pattern is consistent with de‐escalation.We used the first PA biosynthesis specific enzyme (homospermidine synthase, HSS) as tool for reconstructing PA evolution. We found hss orthologues in diverse Apocynaceae species, not all of them known to produce PAs. The phylogenetic analysis showed a monophyletic origin of the putative hss sequences early in the evolution of one Apocynaceae lineage (the APSA clade). We found an hss pseudogene in Asclepias syriaca, a species known to produce cardiac glycosides but no PAs, and four losses of an HSS amino acid motif. APSA clade species are significantly more likely to be Danainae larval host plants than expected if all Apocynaceae species were equally likely to be exploited.Our findings are consistent with PA de‐escalation as an adaptive response to specialist attack.

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“…Conversely, larvae fed with diets with high PA concentration show no preference for either low or high PA concentration diets. Taken together, these findings suggest that lepidopterans are able to adjust their PA consumption to a level that assures defense and courtship (Hoina et al 2013). Thus, the PA concentration used in this study should serve as a stimulus for butterflies to be conditioned to visit PA-containing flowers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

Southern Monarchs do not Develop Learned Preferences for Flowers With Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids

2015

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Danaus butterflies sequester pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) from nectar and leaves of various plant species for defense and reproduction. We tested the hypothesis that the southern monarch butterfly Danaus erippus shows innate preferences for certain flower colors and has the capacity to develop learned preferences for artificial flowers presenting advantageous floral rewards such as PAs. We predicted that orange and yellow flowers would be innately preferred by southern monarchs. Another prediction is that flowers with both sucrose and PAs would be preferred over those having sucrose only, regardless of flower color. In nature, males of Danaus generally visit PA sources more often than females, so we expected that males of D. erippus would exhibit a stronger learned preference for PA sources than the females. In the innate preference tests, adults were offered artificial non-rewarding yellow, orange, blue, red, green, and violet flowers. Orange and yellow artificial flowers were most visited by southern monarchs, followed by blue and red ones. No individual visited either green or violet flowers. For assessing learned preferences for PA flowers over flowers with no PAs, southern monarchs were trained to associate orange flowers with sucrose plus the PA monocrotaline vs. yellow flowers with sucrose only; the opposite combination was used to train another set of butterflies. In the tests, empty flowers were offered to trained butterflies. Neither males nor females showed learned preferences for flower colors associated with PAs in the training set. Thus, southern monarchs resemble the sister species Danaus plexippus in their innate preferences for orange and yellow flowers. Southern monarchs, similarly to temperate monarchs, might not be as PA-demanding as are other danaine species.

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Preference for high concentrations of plant pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the specialist arctiid moth Utetheisa ornatrix depends on previous experience

Cited by 13 publications

References 29 publications

Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids Negatively Affect a Generalist Herbivore Feeding on the Chemically Protected Legume Crotalaria pallida

Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids Negatively Affect a Generalist Herbivore Feeding on the Chemically Protected Legume Crotalaria pallida

Evolution of pyrrolizidine alkaloid biosynthesis in Apocynaceae: revisiting the defence de‐escalation hypothesis

Southern Monarchs do not Develop Learned Preferences for Flowers With Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids

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