Oleander aphid

Oliver TH, Jones I, Cook JM, Leather SR (2008) Avoidance responses of an aphidophagous ladybird, Adalia bipunctata, to aphid-tending ants. Ecol Entomol 33 523-528 Rothschild M, von Euw J, Reichstein T (1970) Cardiac glycosides in the oleander aphid. Aphis nerii. J Insect Physiol 16 1141-1145... 

Malcolm, S.B. (1990) Chemical defence in chewing and sucking insect herbivores plant-derived cardenolids in the Monarch butterfly and oleander aphid. Chemoecol-ogy,% 2-2. ... 

Insects such as lygaeid bugs fed on Nerium oleander also accumulate cardiac glycosides, as does a bright yellow aphid, Aphis nerii (Rothschild, 1973). The sugar-rich secretion of these aphids, called honeydew, contains cardenolides found in the host plant (Molyneux et al., 1990). The ability of this aphid to acquire these compounds suggests that they are found in the phloem of Nerium oleander plants (Molyneux et al., 1990). 

Leaves of Nerium oleander were injected with sodium p- HjJacetate. Aphis nerii were allowed to feed on the leaves and then the aphids were fed to the ladybirds Coccinella undecimpunctata. The cardiac glycoside oleandrin was isolated from the ladybirds and subjected to mass spectrometry. There was a small, but distinct mass spectral peak at M-i-3. What do you conclude ... 

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