Cardenolide content and thin-layer chromatography profiles of monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus L., and their larval host-plant milkweed, Asclepias asperula subsp. capricornu (Woods.) Woods., in north central Texas

• Published in: Journal of chemical ecology Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 295 - 318
• Main Authors: Martin, R.A, Lynch, S.P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Springer 01-01-1988
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; ASCLEPIADACEAE; Asclepias asperula; ATRAYENTES; ATTRACTANTS; ATTRACTIF; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; CHEMOTAXONOMY; CHIMIOTAXONOMIE; CHROMATOGRAPHIE; CHROMATOGRAPHY; COMPOSICION; COMPOSITION; CROMATOGRAFIA; DANAUS; Danaus plexippus; ECOLOGIA; ECOLOGIE; ECOLOGY; ESTEROIDES; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; HOST PARASITE RELATIONSHIPS; PARASITISM; PARASITISME; PARASITISMO; Protozoa. Invertebrata; QUIMIOTAXONOMIA; STEROIDE; STEROIDS; TEXAS; USA, Texas; United States; Insecta; Asclepiadaceae; Chemotaxonomy; Asclepias; Metabolism; North America; Thin layer chromatography; Danaus plexippus; Larva; Animal plant relation; Arthropoda; Dicotyledones; Host plant; Texas; America; Angiospermae; Lepidoptera; Plant origin; Nymphalidae; Spermatophyta; Carbohydrate; Glycoside; Invertebrata
• ISSN: 0098-0331; 1573-1561
• DOI: 10.1007/BF01022548

Spectrophotometric determinations of the gross cardenolide content of Asclepias asperula plants in north central Texas indicated wide variation ranging from 341 to 1616 mu g/0.1 g dry weight. The uptake of cardenolide by butterflies was independent of plant concentration, suggesting that saturation occurs in cardenolide sequestration by monarchs when feeding on cardenolide-rich host-plants.