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Composition of alkaloids in different box tree varieties and their uptake by the box tree moth Cydalima perspectalis

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Abstract

Larvae of the moth Cydalima perspectalis are specialized on box trees (Buxus spp.). Native to eastern Asia, the moth has been introduced to Europe in 2007 and is nowadays causing severe damage to box trees in private and public gardens, as well as in semi-natural box tree forests. Box trees contain highly toxic triterpenoid alkaloids which may be sequestered by specialized herbivores such as C. perspectalis. We determined the alkaloid composition in leaves of the five most common box tree varieties in Europe belonging to two Buxus species using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) metabolite profiling. We also examined whether larvae and moths of C. perspectalis accumulate alkaloids from the different box tree varieties. The differences in alkaloid composition observed between the box tree species Buxus sempervirens and Buxus microphylla were mirrored in the tissue of C. perspectalis larvae fed on either of the different box tree species, indicating uptake of alkaloids. The larvae stored large amounts of dibasic alkaloids in their body, while monobasic alkaloids were metabolized and/or excreted. Newly emerged adult moths contained no traces of alkaloids.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the tree-nursery Von Dach AG in Lyss, Switzerland, for supplying the plants used in the experiments, and the two anonymous reviewers, T. Turlings and A. Baur for comments on the manuscript. Financial support was received from the Stadtgärtnerei Basel, the Municipality of Riehen and the Christoph Merian Foundation, Basel.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Conservation Biology, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    Florine L. G. Leuthardt & Bruno Baur

  2. Chemical Analytical Service of the Swiss Plant Science Web, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

    Gaetan Glauser

Authors
  1. Florine L. G. Leuthardt
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  2. Gaetan Glauser
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  3. Bruno Baur
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Correspondence to Florine L. G. Leuthardt.

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F. L. G. Leuthardt, G. Glauser and B. Baur contributed equally to this work.

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Leuthardt, F.L.G., Glauser, G. & Baur, B. Composition of alkaloids in different box tree varieties and their uptake by the box tree moth Cydalima perspectalis . Chemoecology 23, 203–212 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00049-013-0134-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00049-013-0134-1

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