ISSN:
1423-0445
Keywords:
growth inhibition
;
phytochemical prospecting
;
Meliaceae
;
Lepidoptera
;
Noctuidae
;
Peridroma saucia
;
Orthoptera
;
Acrididae
;
Melanoplus sanguinipes
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Summary Thirty-one species in twenty genera of the plant family Meliaceae were assayed for the production of growth-inhibiting phytochemicals, using the generalist herbivorePeridroma saucia. Most species were inhibitory when methanolic extracts were incorporated into artificial diets at concentrations at or below those occurring naturally. In general members of the subfamily Melioideae were more inhibitory than members of the Swietenioideae. Extracts of deciduous species with short leaf lifetimes were significantly more inhibitory than those of evergreen species with longer leaf lifetimes. In a smaller sample of species, evergreen species showed a trend towards having tougher leaves than deciduous species. These results support the resource availability hypothesis of Coleyet al. (1985), and suggest that life history attributes may be of some value in selecting plants for phytochemical prospecting.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01256552
