黄花菜根水浸提液对莴苣化感作用的初步研究

以莴苣作为受体,通过测定黄花菜根水浸提液对莴苣种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响,对黄花菜化感物质进行了研究.结果表明:浓度为5 mg/m L时,黄花菜根水浸提液对莴苣幼苗苗长表现为促进作用,对莴苣发芽率,发芽指数,根长表现为抑制作用;浓度为10、15和20 mg/m L时,黄花菜根水浸提液对莴苣发芽率,发芽指数,根长和幼苗苗长均表现为抑制作用.图4,表1,参15.     

黄花菜根浸提液对耐抽薹生菜化感作用的初步研究

为了解黄花菜浸提液的化感作用,本实验采用不同浓度黄花菜根浸提液对耐抽薹生菜的种子萌发、根长、茎长和幼苗鲜重的影响.结果表明,经黄花菜根浸提液处理后的生菜种子其发芽率和发芽指数随浸提液浓度的升高而显著降低,并且对生菜幼苗根的抑制作用强于对其幼苗茎的抑制作用.高浓度黄花菜根浸提液对生菜种子胚根和幼苗的生长表现出较强的抑制作用,而低浓度黄花菜根浸提液表现出促进作用.图4,表3,参14.     

黄花菜根水浸提液对大白菜化感作用的初步研究

以黄花菜根为试材,研究不同浓度水浸提液对不同品种大白菜种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响,对黄花菜根化感物质的作用进行研究.试验结果表明:不同浓度黄花菜根水浸提液对不同品种大白菜(精选83-1和迷你黄)种子萌发和幼苗生长的作用效果不同.当浓度为10 mg/m L,15 mg/m L,20 mg/m L时,对于精选83-1和迷你黄的化感作用不同,有的表现为促进作用,有的表现抑制作用.高浓度(25 mg/m L)对于精选83-1和迷你黄则全部表现为抑制作用,且浓度越高抑制作用越明显.图5,表2,参12.     

川中丘陵区柏木（Cupressus funebris）土壤浸提液对3种农作物种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响

某些植物和土壤浸提液的化感作用会影响种子萌发和幼苗生长.关于川中丘陵区的柏木(Cupressus funebris)土壤浸提液对作物种子萌发和幼苗生长是否有影响以及如何影响,推测柏木的土壤浸提液可能抑制作物的种子萌发和幼苗生长.采用室内种子萌发实验,研究土壤浸提液(0.00 g/mL、0.01 g/mL、0.02 g/mL、0.05 g/mL和0.10 g/mL)对番茄(Lycopersicon esculentum)、辣椒(Capsicum annuum)和茄子(Solanum melongena)种子萌发和幼苗生长的化感作用.结果表明,不同浓度土壤浸提液对作物种子萌发和幼苗生长有一定的影响,但与物种有关. 0.01 g/mL的土壤浸提液显著提高番茄的活力指数、降低根鲜重,0.05 g/mL的土壤浸提液显著增加番茄的根长,而0.10 g/mL的土壤浸提液显著降低番茄的发芽率. 4种浓度的土壤浸提液均显著降低辣椒的发芽势和苗鲜重,而辣椒的根长和根鲜重主要在0.01g/mL、0.02 g/mL和0.05 g/mL的土壤浸提液下降显著.对茄子而言,4种浓度的土壤浸提液均显著提高其活力指数、降低鲜根重.综合化感效应指数表明,柏木土壤浸提对番茄和茄子表现为抑制和促进作用,而辣椒仅表现为抑制作用,且3种作物的化感敏感性为辣椒茄子番茄.综上,柏木土壤浸提液能影响作物种子萌发和幼苗生长,且在川中丘陵区,辣椒可能不适合种植在以柏木为坡地防护林的坡耕地中.(图2表3参33)     

大蒜鳞茎浸提液对耐抽薹生菜化感作用的初步研究

为了解大蒜鳞茎浸提液的化感作用,研究了不同浓度大蒜鳞茎浸提液对耐抽薹生菜种子萌发与幼苗生长的影响.结果表明,耐抽薹生菜种子的发芽率和发芽指数随着大蒜鳞茎浸提液浓度的增加而显著降低,对根的影响大于对茎的影响,对耐抽薹生菜幼苗茎的生长表现为低浓度促进作用、高浓度抑制作用,对耐抽薹生菜幼苗根的生长表现为随着大蒜鳞茎浸提液浓度增加抑制作用增强.     

菊花植株水浸液对生菜幼苗根系形态特征的化感作用

为探讨菊花(Chrysanthemum morifolium)的化感作用,以生菜(Lactuca sativa L.)为受体植物,采用培养皿法研究了不同质量浓度(0、2、4、6、8mg·m L~(-1))菊花水浸液处理对生菜幼苗根系形态特征的影响。结果表明,质量浓度为4、6、8mg·mL~(-1)处理极显著抑制了总根长的生长,总根长分别比对照减少了15.01%、16.95%、35.72%和37.80%;菊花水浸液对平均根系直径的促进作用达到极显著水平,平均根系直径分别比对照增加了3.38%、18.14%、12.65%和34.85%。质量浓度为8mg·m L~(-1)的水浸液对根系投影面积和总根表面积具有极显著的抑制作用,分别比对照减少了24.66%和24.70%;水浸液对总根体积和根尖数没有显著的影响。研究还表明,水浸液对生菜幼苗根系生长总体上表现出化感抑制作用,且随着水浸液处理质量浓度的增加,综合化感效应指数呈增加趋势,显示出化感抑制作用逐渐增强的趋势。水浸液综合化感效应指数的顺序为8mg·m L~(-1)4mg·m L~(-1)6mg·m L~(-1)2mg·mL~(-1)。不同根系形态指标的平均综合化感效应指数有如下的顺序:总根长(-0.264)平均根系直径(-0.139)总投影面积(-0.134)=总根表面积(-0.134)根尖数(-0.094)总根体积(-0.086)。上述结果表明,菊花具有较强的化感潜力,可为实现现代园艺产业优质、高产、低耗和环保的可持续发展提供理论依据。     

香樟根际土壤化感作用的初步研究

化感作用是农林复合生态系统中作物相互作用的重要方式,它有十分重要的经济、生态意义.该研究采用常规水浸提方法制备不同浓度的香樟(Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Presl.)根际土壤水浸提液,用生物测定法测定其对萝卜(Raphanus sativus L.)、红苋菜(Amaranthus mangosfanus L.)和荠菜(Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medic.)的种子萌发和幼苗生长的化感作用.结果表明,浸提液浓度不同,其化感效应不同,受体植物不同,化感效应差别也较大,具体表现为,浓度较低时,化感作用较小,对萝卜根生长起促进作用,随着溶液浓度的增大化感抑制作用逐渐增强,大致表现出低促高抑的规律;萝卜受化感作用抑制作用较其他两种蔬菜小.通过研究可得出结论:香樟对蔬菜有较强的化感作用,香樟林地发展林-菜复合种植一定要选择合适的蔬菜种类和科学的管理措施.     

裂叶牵牛浸提液对几种种子萌发的化感作用

采用生物测定法研究了裂叶牵牛[Ipomoea hederacea(L.) Jacq]水浸提液对小麦(Triticum aestivun L.)、白菜(Brassica pekinenss Rupr.)、早熟禾(Poa angustifolia Linn.)、鸡冠花(Celosia cristata L.)种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响.结果表明:(1)质量浓度为0.04 g·mL-1,0.08 g·mL-1,0.16 g·mL-1的裂叶牵牛水浸提液对小麦、白菜、早熟禾、鸡冠花均有抑制作用,抑制作用随着裂叶牵牛水浸提液质量浓度的增加而增强;(2)质量浓度为0.16 g·mL-1的裂叶牵牛水浸提液对四种种子萌发和幼苗生长具有很强的化感作用,SE值均达100%.     

豆科牧草对4种农田常见杂草和水稻化感作用的研究

采用室内生测试验评价了白三叶、紫花苜蓿和毛苕子等3种豆科牧草新鲜茎叶的水浸提液对狗牙根、稗草、马唐和牛筋草等4种农田常见杂草种子萌发和幼苗生长的化感作用。利用盆栽试验研究3种豆科牧草的茎叶按不同比例与土混匀后对水稻秧苗生长的影响。结果表明：供体豆科牧草茎叶的水浸提液对狗牙根、稗草、马唐和牛筋草等的萌发率和幼苗生长均有不同程度的抑制作用,且随着水浸提液质量浓度的增加其抑制作用增强。浸提液质量浓度为0.1 g.mL-1时,毛苕子对稗草种子萌发的抑制作用强于其它3种,抑制率达50.8%;毛苕子对牛筋草幼苗根的抑制作用最强,抑制率达59.9%;白三叶对稗草幼苗茎的抑制率达54.3%。同时将豆科牧草的m（新鲜茎叶）-m（土）为1%和2%时,对水稻的苗高和地上部分的生物量有促进作用,3%时则抑制了水稻的生长。研究表明：施用适量的豆科牧草可以促进水稻生长,同时可有效控制稻田杂草。     

外来入侵植物美洲商陆提取物的化感活性

研究了外来入侵植物美洲商陆(Phytolacca americana)提取物对黄花草木樨(Melilotus officinalis)、大白菜(Brassica pekinensis)、北美车前(Plantago virginica)和马唐(Digitaria sanguinalis)4种植物种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响。结果表明,与对照相比,1 000～4 000、4 000和2 000～4 000μg·mL-1美洲商陆醇提取物分别对大白菜、北美车前和马唐种子萌发率具有显著抑制作用,1 000～4 000μg.mL-1水提取物对马唐种子萌发率也具有显著抑制作用,最大抑制率分别为32.22%、46.56%、32.69%和28.57%。250～500μg·mL-1醇提取物和250～4 000μg·mL-1水提取物对黄花草木樨幼苗根长,250～1 000μg·mL-1醇提取物和250～4 000μg·mL-1水提取物对黄花草木樨幼苗苗高,以及500μg·mL-1水提取物对黄花草木樨幼苗干质量均具有显著促进作用,最大促进率分别为21.32%、37.89%、12.94%、32.07%和18.81%。1 000～4 000μg·mL-1醇提取物和4 000μg·mL-1水提取物对大白菜幼苗根长,2 000～4 000μg·mL-1醇提取物和水提取物对大白菜幼苗苗高,4 000μg·mL-1水提取物对大白菜幼苗干质量具有显著抑制作用,最大抑制率分别为37.00%、20.95%、25.63%、22.30%和13.67%。250～1 000μg·mL-1水提取物对北美车前幼苗根长,250～4 000μg·mL-1水提取物对北美车前苗高具有显著促进作用,而1 000～4 000μg·mL-1醇提取物对北美车前幼苗根长,4 000μg·mL-1醇提取物对北美车前苗高和干质量具有显著抑制作用,最大抑制率分别为58.06%、29.72%和18.36%。500～4 000、1 000～4 000和2 000～4 000μg·mL-1醇提取物分别对马唐幼苗根长、苗高及干质量,4 000μg·mL-1水提取物对马唐幼苗根长具有显著抑制作用,最大抑制率分别为70.31%、44.65%、42.43%和35.50%。由此可见,美洲商陆对大白菜、北美车前和马唐种子萌发和幼苗生长具有较强的化感抑制作用,对入侵植物黄花草木樨具有化感促进作用,这些都直接或间接地增强了美洲商陆的入侵性。     

Achieving Open Access to Conservation Science

Conservation science is a crisis discipline in which the results of scientific enquiry must be made available quickly to those implementing management. We assessed the extent to which scientific research published since the year 2000 in 20 conservation science journals is publicly available. Of the 19,207 papers published, 1,667 (8.68%) are freely downloadable from an official repository. Moreover, only 938 papers (4.88%) meet the standard definition of open access in which material can be freely reused providing attribution to the authors is given. This compares poorly with a comparable set of 20 evolutionary biology journals, where 31.93% of papers are freely downloadable and 7.49% are open access. Seventeen of the 20 conservation journals offer an open access option, but fewer than 5% of the papers are available through open access. The cost of accessing the full body of conservation science runs into tens of thousands of dollars per year for institutional subscribers, and many conservation practitioners cannot access pay‐per‐view science through their workplace. However, important initiatives such as Research4Life are making science available to organizations in developing countries. We urge authors of conservation science to pay for open access on a per‐article basis or to choose publication in open access journals, taking care to ensure the license allows reuse for any purpose providing attribution is given. Currently, it would cost $51 million to make all conservation science published since 2000 freely available by paying the open access fees currently levied to authors. Publishers of conservation journals might consider more cost effective models for open access and conservation‐oriented organizations running journals could consider a broader range of options for open access to nonmembers such as sponsorship of open access via membership fees. Obtención de Acceso Abierto a la Ciencia de la Conservación     

Representation of the world's biophysical conditions by the global protected area network

Protected areas (PAs) are often implemented without consideration of already existing PAs, which is likely to cause an overrepresentation of certain biophysical conditions. We assessed the representativeness of the current PA network with regard to the world's biophysical conditions to highlight which conditions are underprotected and where these conditions are located. We overlaid terrestrial and marine PAs with information on biophysical conditions (e.g., temperature, precipitation, and elevation) and then quantified the percentage of area covered by the PA network. For 1 variable at a time in the terrestrial realm, high temperature, low precipitation, and medium and very high elevation were underrepresented. For the marine realm, low and medium sea surface temperature (SST), medium and high sea surface salinity (SSS), and the deep sea were underrepresented. Overall, protection was evenly distributed for elevation across the terrestrial realm and SST across the marine realm. For 2 variables at a time, cold and very dry terrestrial environments had mostly low protection, which was also the case for low SST and low and medium SSS across most depths for marine environments. Low protection occurred mostly in the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula for the terrestrial realm and along the Tropic of Capricorn and toward the poles for the marine realm. Although biodiversity measures are of prime importance for the design of PA networks, highlighting biophysical gaps in current PAs adds a frequently overlooked perspective. These gaps may weaken the potential of PAs to conserve biodiversity. Thus, our results may provide useful insights for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to establish a more comprehensive global PA network.     

Quantitative composition of the defensive secretion ofBledius species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) is adapted to naturally occurring predators

Summary The adaptation of defensive secretions to their target organisms was examined for the abdominal gland secretions ofBledius furcatus, B. spectabilis andB. arenarius. Therefore the target organisms of the secretion of theseBledius species (i.e. their predators) had to be identified. At the collection sites examined these were the earwigLabidura riparia, the antCataglyphis bicolor, the flyLispe candicans, different carabids of the generaPogonus, Dichirotrichus, Dyschirius, Bembidion andCalathus and the wading birdsHaematopus ostralegus andCalidris alba. The secretion of the abdominal glands contains the toxin ptoluquinone dissolved in either-dodecalactone and 1-undecene (B. furcatus andB. spectabilis) or in octanoic acid and octyloctanoate (B. arenarius). The ratio of these solvents is species-specific. Application experiments using some of the natural insect predators (L. riparia, C. bicolor, Pogonus, Di. gustavii, Dyschirius) revealed that these solvent ratios provided a more effective deterrent than other possible ratios. Thus by combining the solvents in certain ratios, the capability of cuticular penetration and therefore the effectiveness of the defensive secretions are adapted to their natural targets.     

Democracy versus development: New urban debates

The politics of development includes subtexts of choice, as underpinned by community consensus (or lack of it), against the larger backdrop of a liberal democracy, with its intricate power structures that influence the choice of concepts and often lead to complicity rather than consent. A dilemma exists between the understanding of field-level practitioners and that of academics, whose understandings of progress differ. Progress can (and often does) imply long-term change across generations whereas development is often more a matter of crisis management and delivering tangible results to end-users. This makes it a bone of contention across political systems, irrespective of local or global dynamics. Development can emerge as a tool to be wielded for power and further political mileage at the expense of progress. Progress cannot be studied as a counterpoint to development as the sense of history is often missing in development interventions. Development tends to be piecemeal as its very logic often stems from the rationale of power. This is not to suggest, however, that development is only about politics; it is definitely more than the politics of everyday life and involves all of civil society that requires its critical and immediate attention. In this sense, it has become a priority for politicians with an underlying agenda designed to out-manouevre dissent and all statements of protest.     

A framework to measure the wildness of managed large vertebrate populations

As landscapes continue to fall under human influence through habitat loss and fragmentation, fencing is increasingly being used to mitigate anthropogenic threats and enhance the commercial value of wildlife. Subsequent intensification of management potentially erodes wildness by disembodying populations from landscape-level processes, thereby disconnecting species from natural selection. Tools are needed to measure the degree to which populations of large vertebrate species in formally protected and privately owned wildlife areas are self-sustaining and free to adapt. We devised a framework to measure such wildness based on 6 attributes relating to the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of vertebrates (space, disease and parasite resistance, exposure to predation, exposure to limitations and fluctuations of food and water supply, and reproduction). For each attribute, we set empirical, species-specific thresholds between 5 wildness states based on quantifiable management interventions. We analysed data from 205 private wildlife properties with management objectives spanning ecotourism to consumptive utilization to test the framework on 6 herbivore species representing a range of conservation statuses and commercial values. Wildness scores among species differed significantly, and the proportion of populations identified as wild ranged from 12% to 84%, which indicates the tool detected site-scale differences both among populations of different species and populations of the same species under different management regimes. By quantifying wildness, this framework provides practitioners with standardized measurement units that link biodiversity with the sustainable use of wildlife. Applications include informing species management plans at local scales; standardizing the inclusion of managed populations in red-list assessments; and providing a platform for certification and regulation of wildlife-based economies. Applying this framework may help embed wildness as a normative value in policy and mitigate the shifting baseline of what it means to truly conserve a species.     

Some polyphagous Homoptera gain protection from their natural enemies by feeding on the toxic plantsSpartium junceum andErythrina corallodendrum (Leguminosae)

Summary Interactions were studied among alkaloid-containing legumes (Erythrina corallodendrum andSpartium junceum) and non-toxic plants (Citrus sinensis, Cucurbita moschata andEuphorbia tirucalli), several polyphagous homopterans,Aphis craccivora (Aphididae),Icerya purchasi, I. aegyptiaca (Margarodidae),Lepidosaphes ulmi (Diaspididae) andPlanococcus citri (Pseudococcidae), and some major natural enemies of these homopterans. Significant reductions in survival due to negative effects of alkaloid containing as compared with non-alkaloidal plants were recorded for the predatorsRodolia cardinalis andChilocorus bipustulatus, but not forCryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae),Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) andSympherobius sanctus (Neuroptera: Sympherobiidae). The development time of the larvae or pupae ofR. cardinalis, C. carnea andS. sanctus was longer on the toxic plants than on the non-toxic ones. The percentage of parasitism ofA. craccivora collected from the non-alkaloidal plantsVicia palaestina andMelilotus albus was much higher than that onS. junceum. The parasitoid complexes ofA. craccivora differed between both plant groups. The nutritive value of honeydew ofI. purchasi andA. craccivora, as expressed by the life span ofEncyrtus infelix (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) adults, was also investigated. Life spans were significantly longer when the wasps fed on honeydew produced on non-alkaloidal plants (C. sinensis andPittosporum tobira) than on alkaloid containing plants whenI. purchasi — but notA. craccivora — was the producer. It is suggested that the chemical defense ofE. corallodendrum andS. junceum is exploited by polyphagous phytophages to reduce predation. In nature, population growth and density of four of the investigated homopterans are conspicuously high when they developed on the alkaloid containing plant species, and very low on non-alkaloid plants. The efficiency of their natural enemies may be reduced by sequestration of alkaloids (or other toxic plant compounds) or their transfer into excreted honeydew. Therefore it is assumed that a generalist phytophagous homopteran may be protected from its natural enemies, although at different rates of efficiency, if it can safely sequester the host allelochemical when it develops on toxic species within its host range.     

Sexual Predators,Energy Development,and Conservation in Greater Yellowstone

Abstract: In the United States, as elsewhere, a growing debate pits national energy policy and homeland security against biological conservation. In rural communities the extraction of fossil fuels is often encouraged because of the employment opportunities it offers, although the concomitant itinerant workforce is often associated with increased wildlife poaching. We explored possible positive and negative factors associated with energy extraction in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), an area known for its national parks, intact biological diversity, and some of the New World's longest terrestrial migrations. Specifically, we asked whether counties with different economies—recreation (ski), agrarian (ranching or farming), and energy extractive (petroleum)—differed in healthcare (gauged by the abundance of hospital beds) and in the frequency of sexual predators. The absolute and relative frequency of registered sex offenders grew approximately two to three times faster in areas reliant on energy extraction. Healthcare among counties did not differ. The strong conflation of community dishevel, as reflected by in‐migrant sexual predators, and ecological decay in Greater Yellowstone is consistent with patterns seen in similar systems from Ecuador to northern Canada, where social and environmental disarray exist around energy boomtowns. In our case, that groups (albeit with different aims) mobilized campaigns to help maintain the quality of rural livelihoods by protecting open space is a positive sign that conservation can matter, especially in the face of rampant and poorly executed energy extraction projects. Our findings further suggest that the public and industry need stronger regulatory action to instill greater vigilance when and where social factors and land conversion impact biological systems.     

Comparison of the insecticidal effects of water extracted and intact aromatic plants onAcanthoscelides obtectus,a bruchid beetle pest of kidney beans

Summary Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) is one of the most damaging pests of kidney beans,Phaseolus vulgaris L. worldwide. However, aromatic plants from the families Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae and Poaceae can protect kidney beans by direct or delayed insecticidal effect, through increased adult mortality and inhibition of beetle reproduction (both oviposition and adult emergence). The efficiency of hydrodistillated and intact plants fromThymus vulgaris andT. serpyllum, Mentha piperata, Rosmarinus officinalis, Satureia hortensis, Eucalyptus globulus, Laurus nobilis, Origanum vulgare, andCymbopogon nardus was compared. For both extracts,Origanum vulgare had the best effect. The insecticidal effect was induced by more than the essential oils because no significant difference was noticed between distilled and intact plants extract. Inhibition of reproduction was particularly important. These results suggest that lipidic as well as non lipidic, allelochemicals, such as phenolics, or non-protein amino-acids, or flavonoids may be involved in the toxicity of aromatic plants to this beetle.     

Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.     

Sequestration of cucurbitacin analogs by New and Old World chrysomelid leaf beetles in the tribe Luperini

Summary Two South American polyphagous leaf beetles,Diabrotica speciosa andCerotoma arcuata, selectively accumulated the bitter tasting compound 23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin D in their body after ingesting root tissues of cucurbit plants. Similarly, three Asian Cucurbitaceae-feeding specialists in the genusAulacophora were found to sequester the same compound. Cucurbitacin analogs were shown to deter feeding by a bird predator, indicating an allomonal role for these compounds in cucurbitacin-associated chrysomelid leaf beetles both of New and Old Worlds. The strong affinity to cucurbitacins, selective sequestration of the analogs and consequent protection from predators suggested an ecological adaptation mechanism developed in common among these two geographically isolated subtribes in the Luperini.