Iridoid glycoside metabolism and sequestration by Poladryas minuta (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) feeding on Penstemon virgatus (Scrophulariaceae)

A bivoltine checkerspot butterfly, Poladryas minuta, is a Penstemon specialist, not known to utilize any other plant genus for oviposition and larval feeding. At several intermontane plains sites of central Colorado, the butterfly utilizes Penstemon virgatus as its sole host plant. Analysis of the h...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of chemical ecology 1990-05, Vol.16 (5), p.1495-1506
Main Authors:	L'Empereur, K.M. (Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO), Stermitz, F.R
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Biological and medical sciences COMPORTEMENT ALIMENTAIRE COMPOSICION QUIMICA COMPOSITION CHIMIQUE CONTROL BIOLOGICO CONTROL DE INSECTOS Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology GLICOSIDOS GLYCOSIDE HABITOS ALIMENTARIOS Insecta Invertebrates Lepidoptera Life cycle. Embryology. Development LUTTE ANTIINSECTE LUTTE BIOLOGIQUE NYMPHALIDAE Penstemon virgatus Physiology. Development SCROPHULARIACEAE
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Summary:	A bivoltine checkerspot butterfly, Poladryas minuta, is a Penstemon specialist, not known to utilize any other plant genus for oviposition and larval feeding. At several intermontane plains sites of central Colorado, the butterfly utilizes Penstemon virgatus as its sole host plant. Analysis of the host plant showed it to contain three cinnamyl-type catalpol esters (scutellarioside-II, globularin, globularicisin) and catalpol. The host plant contained an average of 10% dry weight iridoids, but some variation among individual plants and leaves within plants was noted. Field-collected butterflies contained 2.1-8.7% dry weight catalpol, but no other iridoids. Adults from larvae fed P. virgatus in the lab contained 4.2-9.0% dry weight catalpol and excreted large amounts of catalpol in the meconium. No catalpol was found in the larval frass. Larvae did not consume three alternate iridoid-containing host-plant species, and most eventually died rather than feed on the alternate plants. Larvae did consume small amounts of artificial diets containing the alternate species and P. virgatus, but most went into diapause and some died. Survival was good on artificial diet containing 10% dry weight of the iridoid esters from P. virgatus. Only catalpol was found in pupae and adults, but it was absent from the larval frass. The cinnamic-type acids expected from larval hydrolysis of the esters were not found in larval frass, pupae, or adults. These results are contrasted with those found for another checkerspot, Euphydryas anicia, which consumes a different host-plant species but was present at one of the same sites with Poladryas minuta
ISSN:	0098-0331 1573-1561