铜镉复合胁迫下硫素对小麦幼苗铜镉吸收、亚细胞分布及毒性的影响

采用水培的方法,研究了不同硫素供应水平对铜镉复合胁迫(Cu+Cd:10μmol·L-1+10μmol·L-1)下,小麦幼苗铜镉吸收、亚细胞分布及生理毒性的影响.结果表明,缺硫和高硫处理均降低了小麦幼苗根系和叶片中铜和镉的含量,不同硫水平处理对小麦幼苗根系亚细胞各组分中镉的分配比例没有产生影响,而对铜亚细胞组分的分配比例...     

硅对镉胁迫下菜心微量元素吸收与转运的影响

为探讨镉(Cd)胁迫下,施硅(Si)处理对植物体对微量元素吸收与转运的影响,采用营养液培养方式,研究了在低(1μmol·L~(-1))、高(5μmol·L~(-1))Cd胁迫下施Si处理对菜心(Brassica campestris L.ssp.chinensis var.utilis)地上部、根部微量元素铁(Fe)、锰(Mn)、铜(Cu)、锌(Zn)含量,根系质外体、共质体及细胞壁中微量元素含量分配和木质部中各微量元素浓度变化的影响。结果显示,(1)Cd胁迫下菜心地上部对微量元素的吸收均表现出"低促高抑"的趋势,根部吸收紊乱,施Si后,地上部Fe、Cu、Zn含量呈不同程度的增加趋势,但Mn含量降低;根部Fe、Cu、Zn含量在施Si后也普遍增加,但差异不显著,对Mn则表现出拮抗作用。(2)Cd胁迫破坏了根系质外体、共质体、细胞壁中微量元素分布平衡,施Si处理普遍提高根系共质体和细胞壁中Fe、Cu、Zn含量,同时降低了Mn含量,增大了共质体中各微量元素的分配比例。(3)施Si普提高了木质部中Fe、Cu、Zn的浓度,降低了Mn的浓度,缓解了Cd对木质液中微量元素运输的影响。结论:Cd胁迫下,施Si通过提升微量元素在根系共质体及共质体的再分配,增强木质部微量元素的转运能力及其在地上部的富集能力,维持了菜心在Cd胁迫下的微量元素平衡。     

不同Cu2+浓度处理对斜生栅藻生长及叶绿素荧光特性的影响

利用浮游植物荧光仪(phyto-PAM)研究了不同Cu2+浓度不同时间(12、24、36和48 h)处理后,斜生栅藻Scendesmus obliquus生长及叶绿素荧光特性等的变化.测定的主要参数有:PS Ⅱ最大光能转化效率(Fv/Fm),PS Ⅱ实际光能转化效率(φPSⅡ=Yield),PSⅡ潜在活性(Fv/Fo),最大相对电子传递效率(rETRmax,即Pm),光能利用效率(α)和细胞密度(A650nm值),叶绿素a、叶绿素b及胡萝卜素含量.结果表明:高浓度Cu2+处理(20～010 μamolμmol·L-1)下,Fv/Fm、Yield、Fv/Fo、rETR、α以及细胞密度等参数随着胁迫时间延长,数值下降幅度显著,叶绿素a、叶绿素b和类胡萝卜素含量也明显下降,低浓度Cu2+处理(0～10 μml·L-1)时上述参数变化不显著.可见,高浓度Cu2+(40～100μmol·L-1)处理对斜生栅藻有显著的胁迫抑制作用,低浓度Cu2+处理(0～10 μmol·L-1)对其影响不明显.     

铀胁迫对大豆与玉米幼苗细胞DNA损伤的彗星试验研究

以铀浓度为1000 μmol·L-1、800 μmol·L-1、600 μmol·L-1、400 μmol·L-1、200μmol·L-1和100μmol·L-1的6组铀溶液和对照组(0μmol·L-1)培养大豆和玉米幼苗,采用彗星试验研究铀胁迫对大豆和玉米幼苗细胞DNA的损伤情况.试验结果表明,铀浓度为1 000 μ...     

镉、铅胁迫对滇杨(Populus yunnanensis)幼苗生长及其光合生理的影响

为探究滇杨(Populus yunnanensis)在Cd、Pb胁迫下的生长及其光合生理反应,采用水培的方式对滇杨幼苗开展胁迫试验。结果表明,在Cd胁迫下,滇杨株高无显著变化,总根长显著降低,地径在Cd浓度为100μmol·L~(-1)时显著增加;在Pb胁迫下,滇杨株高、总根长均显著降低,地径则在Pb浓度为50和100μmol·L~(-1)时显著增加。Cd、Pb胁迫下丙二醛含量随着胁迫浓度增加而上升,总酚含量仅在胁迫浓度为100和200μmol·L~(-1)时显著提高。200μmol·L~(-1) Cd处理、100和200μmol·L~(-1) Pb处理的叶绿素含量显著低于对照。PSⅡ最大光化学效率和PSⅡ潜在活性仅在Cd浓度为100μmol·L~(-1)时显著低于对照。在Cd胁迫下,滇杨的净光合速率随着胁迫浓度的增加而降低,而在Pb胁迫下,净光合速率则随着胁迫浓度的增加先升后降。滇杨在Cd浓度为50μmol·L~(-1)时耐受性最强,在Pb浓度为100μmol·L~(-1)时耐受性最强,滇杨对Cd的耐受性强于Pb。     

铜镉复合胁迫下温度对小麦幼苗生长及其对铜、镉和矿质营养元素吸收与各元素在亚细胞分布的影响

为了研究重金属复合胁迫下温度变化对陆生植物的毒性效应的影响,实验采用水培的方法,设置对照和Cu-Cd复合胁迫(10 μmol·L1 Cu+10μmol·L-1Cd)2个处理,每个处理分别设置3个不同的培养温度(8/4℃、25/20℃和35/30℃),对小麦进行48 h的暴露实验,测定小麦幼苗的生长及其对重金属和矿质营养...     

镉胁迫对莴苣幼苗生长及抗氧化酶系统的影响

以笋王一号(Lactucasativa L. sativa var.Angustata Irish.cv Sunwang NO.1)为材料,通过营养液水培试验,研究了不同浓度的Cd胁迫对莴苣幼苗生长和抗氧化酶的影响.试验结果表明:10～100 μmol·L-1Cd2+对幼苗株高、根长、叶面积和叶数的增加具有明显的抑制作用,且随着浓度的增加抑制程度加重,但低浓度的Cd2+(1 μmol·L-1)却产生了一定的促进作用;幼苗根、叶中MDA含量和G-POD、叶中SOD活性随着Cd处理浓度的增加明显增加,但根中的SOD在100 μmol·L-1Cd胁迫下明显低于对照,同时,1 μmol·L-1Cd对根和叶片中的APX和CAT活性有一定的激活效应,以后随着Cd处理浓度的提高表现为抑制效应,且随着Cd浓度的增加抑制效应逐渐增强.     

外源柠檬酸对水稻铜毒害的缓解效应

以水稻(宜香4106,Oryza sativa L.cv.Yixiang4106)种子为实验材料,研究铜(Cu)对水稻种子萌发和生长的影响,以及外施柠檬酸对铜毒害的缓解效应.结果表明,在不同浓度Cu2+(20、50、80μmol/L)胁迫下,水稻幼苗的芽长、胚根长、须根数和活力指数均明显下降.当Cu2+浓度达到80μmol/L时,与未胁迫处理相比,幼苗芽长和胚根长度抑制率分别高达23.6%和96.7%.2mmol/L的外源柠檬酸可缓解Cu2+的抑制作用,水稻种子萌发的活力指数提高,根系长度增长近7倍,幼苗平均每株根数增加约8.8倍,水稻幼苗叶片中丙二醛(MDA)含量降低,叶绿素含量提高41.9%,可溶性蛋白质的含量为铜胁迫处理的2.9倍,超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化物酶(POD)的活性均显著提高.     

铜离子对2种沉水植物种植水抑藻效应的影响

为了阐明铜离子对沉水植物化感抑藻作用的影响,利用2种常见且具有明显化感抑藻效应的沉水植物：马来眼子菜和苦草种植水进行了研究,分析了协同加入铜离子的情况下,种植水对铜绿微囊藻（Microcystis aeruginosa）脆杆藻（Fragilariasp．）和沙角衣藻（Chlamydomonas sajao）等单细胞蓝绿藻生长的抑制效应。铜离子投入量参考污水综合排放标准,综合考虑水生动物和藻类的耐铜毒性范围,在较低的范围内设置4个水平：100、150、200、250μg铜离子每升藻类培养液。研究结果表明,与不同水平铜离子混合后,种植水的抑藻效应出现4种情况,（1）被消除,100μg·L-1铜离子加入后,马来眼子菜种植水对脆杆藻、苦草种植水对铜绿微囊藻的抑制作用被消除。（2）被削弱,马来眼子菜种植水在加入100μg·L-1和150嵋·一铜离子2种情况下,对铜绿微囊藻抑制作用被削弱,加入200μg·L-1铜离子后,对脆杆藻抑制作用被削弱;苦草种植水在加入150μg·L-1铜离子后,对铜绿微囊藻的抑制被削弱。（3）无变化,马来眼子菜种植水,分别加入200μg·L-1和250μg·L-1铜离子后,对铜绿微囊藻抑制效应不受影响,分别加入150μg·L-1和250μg·L-1铜离子,对脆杆藻抑制效应不受影响;苦草种植水,加入150μg·L-1铜离子后,对铜绿微囊藻抑制效应不受影响,加入100μg·L-1和150μg·L-1铜离子后,对沙角抑藻的抑制效应不受影响。（4）被强化,苦草种植水,分别加入200μg·L-1和250μg·L-1铜离子后,对铜绿微囊藻、沙角抑藻的抑制效应均被强化。沉水植物化感抑藻物质主要是小分子的有机物,包括各种有机酸,而铜离子极易和水中的有机物发生络合反应．可能是铜离子与种植水中某些抑藻化感物质发生络合反应导致其抑藻效应受到影响．具体机制有待进一步研究。     

石灰性褐土中柠檬酸对土壤Cu(Ⅱ)、Cd(Ⅱ)吸附-解吸的影响

通过室内培养和吸附-解吸实验,研究了不同柠檬酸含量土壤对Cu2+、Cd2+吸附-解吸的影响.结果表明,土壤对Cu2+的吸附量随加入柠檬酸量的增加而明显增加,达到峰值后(柠檬酸含量为0.5 mmol.kg-1),吸附量随柠檬酸含量的增加而下降,即Cu2+的吸附曲线呈峰型.在低柠檬酸含量时,土壤对Cu2+的吸附量受Cd2+浓度影响较小,但随柠檬酸含量的增加,在低铜浓度处理(Cu2+浓度为600 mg·L-1,Cu600)下,土壤对Cu2+的吸附量随Cd2+浓度的增大而增大,但在高浓度铜处理(Cu2+浓度为1000 mg·L-1,Cu1000)下,土壤对Cu2+的吸附量随Cd2+浓度的增加而减少.Cu2+的解吸量随柠檬酸含量的增加而总体上降低;相同柠檬酸含量下,Cu600处理下,Cd2+浓度为10 mg·L-1(Cd10)条件下Cu2+解吸量明显低于无Cd2+(Cd0)和Cd2+浓度为1 mg·L-1(Cd1)条件下.而Cu1000处理下,Cd2+的浓度对Cu2+解吸量的影响较小.Cd2+吸附量随柠檬酸含量的增加无明显变化,但随Cu2+浓度的增加下降明显,其中无Cu2+处理Cd2+吸附量极显著地高于Cu600和Cu1000处理,而Cu600和Cu1000处理间差异不显著,且土壤对Cd2+的吸附随镉添加量增加而增加;Cd2+的解吸量随柠檬酸含量的增加先增大后保持稳定,在柠檬酸含量为0.5 mmol.kg-1时达到最大,Cu600处理的Cd2+的解吸量显著地高于Cu1000处理.     

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.