2012年2月8日星期三

The caterpillars of cabbage butterflies are the only insects that can eat plants of the mustard family why?

Anyone know?

thanks
The caterpillars of cabbage butterflies are the only insects that can eat plants of the mustard family why?
Well they aren't, there are quite a few types of lepidoptera that will eat plants in the Brassicaceae family; Diamondback moth, alfalfa looper, cabbage looper, the list goes on. Members of the mustard family are known for producing some compounds which can be harmful to insects (and other organisms) for example Isothiocyanates . Being able to use a rescource that has less competition is an advantage so these organisms found ways of getting arround the toxicity problem. How exactly the get arround this I don't know.

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