Chemical defense acquired via pharmacophagy can lead to protection from predation for conspecifics in a sawfly.

ABSTRACT: Chemical defense is a widespread anti-predator strategy exhibited by organisms, with individuals either synthesizing or extrinsically acquiring defensive chemicals. In some species, such defences can also be transferred among conspecifics. Here, we tested the effects of pharmacophagy on the defense capability of the turnip sawfly, Athalia rosae, which can acquire neo-clerodane diterpenoids (clerodanoids) via pharmacophagy when having access to the plant Ajuga reptans. We show that clerodanoid access mediates protection against predation by mantids for the sawflies, both in a no-choice feeding assay and a microcosm setup. Even indirect access to clerodanoids, via nibbling on conspecifics that had access to the plant, resulted in protection against predation albei

SUBMITTER: Singh P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9257289 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature