Abstract
A bitter tasting cyanoglucoside, sarmentosin, was isolated from an aposematic Apollo butterfly,Parnassius phoebus, and from its plant-host,Sedum stenopetalum. The content of sarmentosin in the body tissues was as high as 500 μg/insect, suggesting a defensive role for this substance; a high concentration was detected in the wings. Sarmentosin was also present in the eggs.
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Nishida, R., Rothschild, M. A cyanoglucoside stored by aSedum-feeding Apollo butterfly,Parnassius phoebus. Experientia 51, 267–269 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01931110
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01931110