The Chemistry Of Plants And Insects

This book explains the natural chemical compounds that determine the fascinating interactions between plants and insects providing a gentle and absorbing introduction to organic chemistry.

Our objective in compiling a series of chapters on the chemical ecology of insects has been to delineate the major concepts of this discipline. The fine line between presenting a few topics in great detail or many topics in veneer has been carefully drawn, such that the book contains sufficient diversity to cover the field and a few topics in some depth. After the reader has penetrated the crust of what has been learned about chemical ecology of insects, the deficiencies in our understanding of this field should become evident. These deficiencies, to which no chapter topic is immune, indicate the youthful state of chemical ecology and the need for further investigations, especially those with potential for integrating elements that are presently isolated from each other. At the outset of this volume it becomes evident that, although we are beginning to decipher how receptor cells work, virtually nothing is known of how sensory information is coded to become relevant to the insect and to control the behavior of the insect. This problem is exacerbated by the state of our knowledge of how chemicals are distributed in nature, especially in complex habitats. And finally, we have been unable to understand the significance of orientation pathways of insects, in part because of the two previous problems: orientation seems to depend on patterns of distri bution of chemicals, the coding of these patterns by the central nervous system, and the generation of motor output based on the resulting motor commands.

Botanists and zoologists have recognized for centuries the specificity of various insects for plants, and entomolo gists have long been aware that insects defend themselves from predators by emitting repulsive odors. Only recently have chemists and biologists established a joint endeavor for studying the chemical relationships between plants and insects. The present symposium volume of the Phytochemical Society of North America's RECENT ADVANCES IN PHYTOCHEMISTRY consists of eight papers dealing with phytochemical relation ships between plants and their insect herbivores. The fifteenth P.S.N.A. annual symposium and meeting was held in August, 1975, on the campus of The University of South Florida, Tampa. The chemical defenses of apparent and unapparent plants were contrasted by Feeny. Rodreguiz and Levin illustrated parallel defense mechanisms of plants and insects and then Hendry, Kostelc, Hindenlang, Wichmann, Fix and Koreniowski discussed chemical messengers for both plants and insects. Subsequently Beck and Reese reviewed plant contributions to insect nutrition and metabolism. Indepth studies for the monarch butterfly-milkweed interaction were presented by Roeske, Seiber, Brower, and Moffitt and for the cotton boll weevil-cotton plant relationship by Hedin, Thompson, and Gueldner. In the latter portion of the symposium Rhoades and Cates presented a general theory concerning the coevolu tion of insects and plant antiherbivore chemistry.

This new edition of a popular book, eases access to organic chemistry by connecting it with the world of plants and their colours, fragrances and defensive mechanisms.

During the past decade, the study of the chemical structures used by insects has advanced from a subject that could be reviewed in a single volume to a vastly more advanced level. This important new volume brings together a focused group of reviews that offer perspective on the most interesting advances in insect chemical ecology. Chemical Ecology of Insects 2 brings together an internationally respected group of experts covering such topics as chemoreception and integration, orientation mechanisms, plant-insect interactions and insect-insect interactions. An important benefit of these reviews lies in the identification of the boundaries of our current knowledge and the most profitable areas in which we should expect these areas to develop. This important work will appeal to entomologists and ecologists working directly with insects. In addition, plant scientists interested in the interaction of plants and insects will find much valuable information. The book is intended to benefit both field and laboratory researchers as well as advanced students.

Insect Chemical Ecology provides a comprehensive view of how natural selection acts upon interacting organisms and how particular physical and biological properties of chemical compounds act as constraints upon which natural selection may act. Individual chapters raise specific questions as to the nature of these interactions. The first part contains reviews on antagonistic and mutualistic chemical interactions, the `raw materials' of chemical evolution, the economics of offensive and defensive chemicals, and neurobiology. The second part discusses particular problems such as the evolution of resistance, insect pollination, learning, pheromones, sequestration of semiochemicals, the role of microorganisms, sex attractants, the evolution of host races and biotypes, and the role of semiochemicals and the evolution of sociality of insects. The last chapter discusses the role of chemical-based pest management programs in an ecological and evolutionary framework.

Plant apparency and chemical defense. Insect - plant interactios: nutrition and metabolism. Milkweed cardenolides and their comparative processing by monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus L.). A general theory of plant antiherbivore chemistry. Biochemical parallelisms of repellants and attractants in higher plants and arthropods. Cotton plant and insect constituents that control boll weevil behavior and development. Chemical messengers in insects and plants. Secondary plant substances as materials for chemical high quality breeding in higher plants.

Have you ever wondered how plants attract certain insects, or how insects communicate with each other? This book explains the natural chemical compounds that determine the fascinating interactions between plants and insects providing a gentle and absorbing introduction to organic chemistry that is highly relevant to everyday life and to the natural world. Specific organic compounds and intriguing chemistry determine whether insects are keen on feeding on plants or avoid certain plants altogether. Some insects have learned to use plant compounds as their own defences, and some plants use digestive processes to use insects as nutritional supplements. Plant-insect interactions are vital for our food supply, for pollination of orchards or detrimentally in insect infestations of crops, as well as in applications like silk production. By the author of the popular book, The Chemistry of Plants: Perfumes, Pigments, and Poisons, this book benefits from Margareta Séquin’s vast experience leading field trips and seminars to botanical gardens and nature reserves, and teaching chemistry to beginners. Organic chemistry is often seen as a challenging, sometimes abstract field. This book makes chemistry exciting and accessible for readers interested in a deeper understanding of the natural world. The book is organized according to the increasing complexity of compounds introduced, and so it also serves as a useful teaching aid for undergraduate chemistry or biology courses, and as a supplementary text for students in plant sciences, ecology, and entomology, and in horticultural programs.

Insects and plants have been interacting for more than 350 million years, often resulting in species variability and radiation. Studying insect-plant chemical and mechanical interactions at different levels can help shed light on the complex factors driving the evolutionarily successful relationship between these two groups. This Special Issue focuses on the chemical and physical interactions between insects and plants to understand the functional significance of plant chemistry, plant surface structures, and their relationships with a broad range of ecological groups of insects, including pollinators, herbivores, and predators. The results of the investigations presented in this Special Issue can help develop effective management strategies to successfully control insect pest infestations or pollination strategies for diverse cropping environments.

Insects have evolved very unique and interesting tactics using chemical signals to survive. Chemical ecology illustrates the working of the biological network by means of chemical analyses. Recent advances in analytical technology have opened the way to a better understanding of the more complicated and abyssal interactions of insects with other organisms including plants and microbes. This book covers recent research on insects and chemical communications and presents the current status about challenges faced by chemical ecologists for the management of pests in agriculture and human health.