Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Enteric and Plant Derived Deterrents in Regurgitate of American Bird Grasshopper, Schistocerca americana

  • Published:
Journal of Chemical Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Regurgitates of the grasshopper Schistocerca americana were deterrent to Crematogaster ants. Regurgitates obtained from insects fed upon wheat seedlings were more strongly deterrent than those obtained from insects fed on romaine lettuce leaves. After extraction of the regurgitates with ethyl acetate, deterrence could be demonstrated in both the organic and aqueous phases. Wheat seedlings, lettuce, and feces from wheat- or lettuce-fed insects yielded extracts with lower deterrency. Our results suggest that deterrents in the organic phase of the regurgitate are primarily due to the presence of plant natural products, whereas the deterrency of the aqueous phase is probably due to digestive enzymes from enteric components, probably digestive enzymes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Anstee, J. H., and Charnley, A. K. 1977. Effects of frontal ganglion removal and starvation on activity and distribution of six gut enzymes in Locusta. J. Insect Physiol. 23:965-974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blum, M. S. 1981. Chemical Defenses of Arthropods. Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowers, W. S., and Ortego, F. 1991. Evaluation of juvenoid insect growth regulators on Schistocerca americana. Insect Sci. Appl. 12:71-75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowers, W. S., Ortego, F., You, X., and Evans, P. H. 1993. Insect repellents from the Chinese prickly ash Zanthoxylum bungeanum. J. Nat. Prod. 56:935-938.

    Google Scholar 

  • Curasson, G. 1934. Sur le toxicité de la sécrétion buccale des Sauterelles. Bull. Acad. Vet. Fr. 17:377-382.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edmunds, M. 1974. Defence in Animals. A Survey of Anti-predator Defenses. Longman, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eisner, T. 1970. Chemical defense against predation in Arthropods, pp. 157-217, in E. Sondheimer and J. B. Simeone (eds.). Chemical Ecology, Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, M. A. 1967. Proteolytic enzymes of the crop fluid from Locusta migratoria L. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 20:1013-1015.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, M. A. 1968. Pharmacological properties of the regurgitated crop fluid of the African migratory locust, Locusta migratoria L. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 26:1041-1049.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinks, C. F., and Erlandson, M. A. 1995. The accumulation of haemolymph proteins and activity of digestive proteinases of grasshoppers (Melanoplus sanguinipes) fed wheat, oats or kochia. J. Insect Physiol. 41:425-433.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knecht, M., Hagenmaier, H. E., and Zebe, E. 1974. The proteases in the gut of the locust, Locusta migratoria. J. Insect Physiol. 20:461-470.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lymbery, A., and Bailey, W. 1980. Regurgitation as a possible antipredator defensive mechanism in the grasshopper Goniaea sp. (Acrididae, Orthoptera). J. Aust. Entomol. Soc. 19:129-130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matthews, R. W., and Matthews, J. R. 1978. Insect Behavior. Wiley, New York, 507 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sakal, E., Applebaum, S. W., and Birk, Y. 1988. Purification and characterization of Locusta migratoria chymotrypsin. Int. J. Pept. Protein Res. 32:590-598.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sakal, E., Applebaum, S. W., and Birk, Y. 1989. Purification and characterization of trypsins from the digestive tract of Locusta migratoria. Int. J. Pept. Protein Res. 34:498-505.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sakal, E., Applebaum, S. W., and Birk, Y. 1992. Detection and determination of Locusta migratoria trypsin by radioimmunoassay. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 20:157-164

    Google Scholar 

  • Steiner, A. L. 1981. Anti-predator strategies. II. Grasshoppers (Orthoptera, Acrididae) attacked by Prionyx parkeri and some Tachysphex wasps (Hymenoptera, Sphecinae and Larrinae): A descriptive study. Psyche 88:1-24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler, D. E., and Buck, N. A. 1995. Storage proteins in ants during development and colony founding. J. Insect Physiol. 41:885-894.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitman, D. W. 1990. Grasshopper chemical communication, pp. 357-391, in R. F. Chapman and A. Joem (eds.). Biology of Grasshoppers. Wiley-Interscience, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitman, D. W., Blum, M. S., and Alsop, D. W. 1990. Allomones: Chemicals for defense, pp. 289-351, in D. L. Evans and J. O. Schmidt (eds.). Insect Defenses. Adaptive Mechanisms and Strategies of Prey and Predators. State University of New York Press, Albany.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. F. Ortego

    Present address: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Velázquez 144, Madrid, 28006, Spain

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 8, 5721

    F. Ortego, P. H. Evans & W. S. Bowers

Authors
  1. F. Ortego
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. H. Evans
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. W. S. Bowers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ortego, F., Evans, P.H. & Bowers, W.S. Enteric and Plant Derived Deterrents in Regurgitate of American Bird Grasshopper, Schistocerca americana . J Chem Ecol 23, 1941–1950 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOEC.0000006481.86889.78

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOEC.0000006481.86889.78

Search

Navigation