Host plant selection of the horse-radish flèa beetle phyllotreta armoraciae (coleoptera: chrysomelidae): feeding responses to glucosinolates from several crucifers
1979
Nielsen, Jens Kvist | DALGAARD, LARS | LARSEN, LONE MELCHIOR | Sørensen, H. (Hilmer)
Feeding responses of Phyllotreta armoraciae, a monophagous flea beetle feeding on horseradish, Armoracia rusticana, were evaluated by means of leaf disc tests. Semiquantitative determinations of the glucosinolate contents found in leaves of twelve species of Cruciferae, including horseradish, were performed. The responses of P. armoraciae to the twelve plant species were evaluated, as were the responses to pure glucosinolates and to glucosinolate mixtures occurring in the plants. The glucosinolate content of horseradish consisted of more than 99% allylglucosinolate together with traces of 2-butyl- and benzylglucosinolate. Nearly the same pattern occurred in Brassica nigra, Alliaria petiolata, Iberis umbellata, and Thlaspi arvense, but only the first-mentioned species was acceptable in laboratory bioassays. Nasturtium microphyllum, Sinapis alba, and Sisymbrium officinale did not contain allylglucosinolate as a major component, but nevertheless, these species were acceptable to P. armoraciae in the laboratory. The glucosinolate mixtures isolated from Nasturtium microphyllum, Sisymbrium officinale, Alyssum saxatile, and Cardamine amara were even more stimulating than glucosinolates from horseradish. The two latter species together with Iberis amara and Raphanus sativus were not eaten by P. armoraciae. All acceptable plants contained highly stimulatory mixtures of glucosinolates but several glucosinolates contributed to these mixtures and P. armoraciae did not prefer the glucosinolates of horseradish above those of most other investigated crucifers. Therefore, horseradish cannot be recognized by the beetles solely by its content of glucosinolates. Other feeding stimulants and(or) absence of feeding inhibitors seem to play a major role.
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