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Differences in Effects of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids on Five Generalist Insect Herbivore Species

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Abstract

The evolution of the diversity in plant secondary compounds is often thought to be driven by insect herbivores, although there is little empirical evidence for this assumption. To investigate whether generalist insect herbivores could play a role in the evolution of the diversity of related compounds, we examined if (1) related compounds differ in their effects on generalists, (2) there is a synergistic effect among compounds, and (3) effects of related compounds differed among insect species. The effects of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) were tested on five generalist insect herbivore species of several genera using artificial diets or neutral substrates to which PAs were added. We found evidence that structurally related PAs differed in their effects to the thrips Frankliniella occidentalis, the aphid Myzus persicae, and the locust Locusta migratoria. The individual PAs had no effect on Spodoptera exigua and Mamestra brassicae caterpillars. For S. exigua, we found indications for synergistic deterrent effects of PAs in PA mixtures. The relative effects of PAs differed between insect species. The PA senkirkine had the strongest effect on the thrips, but had no effect at all on the aphids. Our results show that generalist herbivores could potentially play a role in the evolution and maintenance of the diversity of PAs.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant from the Gratama foundation. We thank Helene de Vos for the isolation of jacobine, Lily Muñoz, Henk Nell, and Kees Koops for their technical assistance, Leo Koopman for providing the Mamestra, and Klaas Vrieling, Nicole van Dam, and Ed van der Meijden for their valuable comments on earlier drafts of the manuscript.

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  1. Mirka Macel

    Present address: Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland

  2. Maaike Bruinsma

    Present address: Department of Entomology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8031, 6700 EH, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9516, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Mirka Macel, Maaike Bruinsma, Sander M. Dijkstra, Tessa Ooijendijk & Peter G. L. Klinkhamer

  2. Department of Entomology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8031, 6700 EH, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Hermann M. Niemeyer

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  1. Mirka Macel
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Correspondence to Mirka Macel.

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Macel, M., Bruinsma, M., Dijkstra, S.M. et al. Differences in Effects of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids on Five Generalist Insect Herbivore Species. J Chem Ecol 31, 1493–1508 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-005-5793-0

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