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At 10:24 AM -0300 10/17/10, Angus MacLean wrote:
>A study suggests Monarchs have a unique way of warding off parasitic
>infection in their offspring.
>http://www.world-science.net/othernews/101011_monarch
>(However if this is the case why is this infection not controlled completely?)
Because the most toxic plants are not universally available AND even
if they were, they are not used identically by all butterfly
caterpillars. There is considerable variation in both the cardenolide
content between hostplant (milkweed) species (even within species)
and in the development time of caterpillars feeding on the plants
(longer development times mean greater probablility of predation or
succumbing to disease organisms despite/because of the hostplant
defence levels).
Phil
--
Phil Schappert, PhD
27 Clovis Ave.
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www.aworldforbutterflies.com
"Just let imagination lead, reality will follow through..."
(Michael Hedges)
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