The polyvalent sequestration ability of an economically important beetle.

DOI
Publisher DOI
PubMed ID
39504964
Abstract
Many specialized herbivorous insects sequester single classes of toxic secondary metabolites from their host plants as protection against natural enemies. If and how herbivores can use multiple classes of plant toxins across the large chemical diversity of plants for self-protection is unknown. We show that the polyphagous adults of the beetle Diabrotica virgifera are capable of selectively accumulating benzoxazinoids, cucurbitacins, and glucosinolates but not cyanogenic glycosides. Female beetles transfer the sequestered defense metabolites into their eggs, protecting them against generalist predators. Eggs containing a mixture of toxins are better protected than eggs with individual toxins. This work shows how herbivores can exploit plant chemical diversity to their own benefit as a novel adaptive mechanism that contributes to the structuring of multitrophic interaction networks.
Date Issued
2024-12
Publication Type
Article
Subject(s)
Subjects
benzoxazinoids
•
cucurbitacins
•
detoxification
•
diabroticine beetles
•
egg protection
•
glucosinolates
•
maize
•
predators
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Arce, Carla C M
Machado, Ricardo A R
Mamin, Marine
Glauser, Gaétan
Bruno, Pamela
Benrey, Betty
Turlings, Ted C J
Additional Credits
Journal
Current Biology
Publisher
Cell Press
ISSN
1879-0445
0960-9822
Access(Rights)
open.access
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