A Parting Thought

We have, as yet, few clues to how insects overcome plant defences. 

With insects, nothing can be taken for granted and their chemistry still 

Daloze, J. C. Braekman and J. M. Pasteels, Ladybird defensive alkaloids structural, chemotaxonomic, and biosynthetic aspects (Col. Coccinellidae), Chemoecology, 1995, 5/6, 173-183. 

Harbome, Introduction to Ecological Biochemistry, 4th edition. Academic Press, London, 1993, pp. 318 (Chapters 5 7, plant defenses). 

Hartmann and D. Ober, Biosynthesis and metabolism of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in plants and specialized insect herbivores. Topics in Current Chemistry, 2000, 209, 207-243. 

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