Defense in Thrips: Forbidding Fruitiness of a Lactone
Abstract
Expulsion of anal fluid from the upturned abdomen was demonstrated to serve a defensive function in the thrips Bagnalliella yuccae. An allomone in the anal exudate was identified as γ -decalactone, a fruity-smelling compound that repelled potential predators. Chemical defenses may contribute to the ability of thrips to maintain large aggregations.
- Publication:
-
Science
- Pub Date:
- April 1983
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 1983Sci...220..335H