Utetheisa ornatrix

Arctiidae 1,Z3,Z6,Z9-21 H Arctia villica Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata Utetheisa ornatrix 84 [62] 93 [63] 82 [64]... 

We here summarize work we have done with a moth, Utetheisa ornatrix, that has a dependence on certain plant alkaloids. The moth uses the compounds for defense and for production of a pheromone that plays a decisive role in sexual selection. The species has a broad range, extending through North America east of the Rockies and southward into Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. Our studies were done mostly with populations of the moth from central Florida. 

The most thoroughly documented larval PA feeder is Utetheisa ornatrix (Plate 7.1,... 

Utetheisa ornatrix (L.) Crotalaria Larva Hodal Genital Eisner, 1980 Conner et al.,... 

Bogner, F. and Eisner, T. (1991). Chemical basis of egg cannibalism in a caterpillar (Utetheisa ornatrix). Journal of Chemical Ecology 17 2063-2075. 

Conner, W. E., Eisner T., Vander Meer, R. K., Guerrero, A. and Meinwald, J. (1981). Precopulatory sexual interactions in an arctiid moth (Utetheisa ornatrix) role of pheromone derived from alkaloids. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 9 227-235. 

Eisner, T. and Eisner, M. (1991). Unpalatability of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid-containing moth Utetheisa ornatrix, and its larva, to wolf spiders. Psyche 98 111-118. 

Gonzalez, A., Rossini, C., Eisner, M. and Eisner, T. (1999). Sexually transmitted chemical defense in a moth (Utetheisa ornatrix). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 96 5570-5574. 

Grant, A. J., O Connell, R. J. and Eisner, T. (1989). Pheromone-mediated sexual selection in the moth Utetheisa ornatrix olfactory receptor neurons responsive to a male-produced pheromone. Journal of Insect Behavior 2 371-385. 

Hare, J. F. and Eisner, T. (1993). Pyrrolizidine alkaloid deters ant predators of Utetheisa ornatrix eggs effects of alkaloid concentration, oxidation state, and prior exposure of ants to alkaloid-laden prey. Oecologia 96 9-18. 

Iyengar, V. K., Rossini, C. and Eisner, T. (2001). Precopulatory assessment of male quality in an arctiid moth (Utetheisa ornatrix) hyroxydanaidal is the only criterion of choice. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 49 283-288. 

LaMunyon, C. W. (1997). Increased fecundity, as a function of mutiple mating, in an arctiid moth, Utetheisa ornatrix. Ecological Entomology 22 69-73. 

Alkaloid content of the pupal parasitoids of an alkaloid sequestering arctiid moth (Utetheisa ornatrix). Entomological News 111 287-290. 

Utetheisa ornatrix. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 85 5992-5996. 

Figure 12.3 Utetheisa ornatrix that were offered to the orb-weaving spider Nephila clavipes. The specimen on the right, rejected intact, was raised on one of its normal, pyrrolizidine alkaloid-containing food plants (Crotalaria mucronata). The one on the left, raised on an artificial diet devoid of alkaloid, was eaten. See also Figure 12.4. (From Eisner, 1982. American Institute of Biological Science.)...

Hydroxydanaidal pheromonal indicator of systemic alkaloid load (Utetheisa ornatrix)... 

Figure 12.5 Utetheisa ornatrix. A Male (above) stroking its everted coremata against female during courtship. B Larva feeding on seed pod of its natural, pyrrolizidine alkaloid-containing food plants (Crotalaria spectabilis). C Scanning electronmicrograph of abdominal tip of male, showing coremata in everted (left) and retracted condition. [Bar = 1 mm A and C from Eisner, 1980].

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids parental transmission to egg ( Utetheisa ornatrix and Danaus gilippus)... 

Conner W. E., Roach B., Benedict E., Meinwald J. and Eisner. T. (1990) Courtship pheromone production and body size as correlates of larval diet in males of the arctiid moth, Utetheisa ornatrix. J. Chem. Ecol. 16, 543-552. 

Dussourd D. E., Harvis C. A., Meinwald J. and Eisner T. (1991) Pheromonal advertisement of a nuptial gift by a male moth Utetheisa ornatrix. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88, 9224-9227. 

J. (1983). Polyene pheromone components from an arctiid moth (Utetheisa ornatrix) Characterization and synthesis. J. Org. Chem., 48, 2266-2270. 

Recent studies have provided additional details of Type II pheromone biosynthesis in two other arctiid species. For example, injection of labeled 9Z,12Z,15Z-18 COOH into pupae of female Utetheisa ornatrix resulted in incorporation of label into 3Z,6Z,9Z-21 H as expected, and also into 1,3Z,6Z,9Z-21 H (Choi etal., 2007), supporting the chain elongation... 

Identification and biosynthetic studies of the hydrocarbon sex pheromone in Utetheisa ornatrix. J. Chem. Ecol., 33, 1336-1345. 

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