Chemical defense: Bestowal of a nuptial alkaloid garment by a male moth on its mate William E. Conner Ruth Boada.. Frank Schroeder, Andrés Gonzilez, Jerrold Meinwald\'. and Thomas and of Biology Wake Forest University. PO Box 732s Winston Salem. and Behavior, Cornell University. Ithaca, NY 14853 Contributed by errold Meinwald, October 2000 Males of the moth GArctidae) acquire pyrroli- zidine alkaloid by feeding on the excrescent fluids of certain plants (for instance, Eupatorium capillifolium). They incorporate the alkaloid have a pair and as a resultare protected against spiders. The males filaments, of abdominal pouches. densely packed with fine outiailar discharge which in allualoid-fed males are alkaloid laden. The males the filaments on the female in bursts during courtship, embellishing her with alkaloid as a result. The topical investiture the female against spiders. Alkaloid-free filaments, from males, convey no such protection. The males also transmit alkaloid to the female by seminal infusion. The systemic alkaloid thus received, which itself may contribute to the female\'s defense against spiders, is bestowed in part by the female the on paternal contribution to egg been demonstrated for several aretid moths, protective nuptial festooning of afemalebyits mate, such asispracticed by Cmyrodora, appears to be without parallel among insects. laboratories on their natural larval foodpla Pyrrolizidine alkaloid paternal investment Ipredation IArctidae. (Asteraceae), providing the bulk of indiv observations were made. ere we describe the behavior of a moth in which acquisition Flocoulent. The pouches in the male that of pyrrolizidine alkaloid (henceforth, for simplicity, some- are two invaginations of the ventral sul times called alkaloid) plays a crucial role in defense. We (spanning stemites II-IV), ordinarily con demonstrate that the alkaloid is initially procured by the male icy. The flocculent can be readily from plants, and that the male derives protection against spiders forceps (Fig 1D).For scanning electron I (Nephila clavipes) as a result. We demonstrate further that the flocculent were air dried and gold coatu male allocates some of the acquired alkaloid to a cottony mass of cuticular filaments that he keeps tucked away in the abdomen Plant Analyses. Air-dried powdered plan and that he discharges on the female in bursts during courtship. leaves (50 g or E. capillifolium roots We show that the alkaloid-laden filaments thus bestowed by the Soxhlet apparatus with methanol males protect the female against N clavipes, whereas alkaloid- the solvent was removed in vacuo, free filaments from control males that had no access to alkaloid partitioned between dichloromethane provide no such protection. We show further that the female The aqueous phase was separated, ba receives additional alkaloid from the male through seminal concentrated aqueous NH, and extra infusion, an endowment that can itself contribute to her defense ane. After evap.

1. Chemical defense: Bestowal of a nuptial alkaloid garment by a male moth on its mate William
E. Conner Ruth Boada.. Frank Schroeder, Andrés Gonzilez, Jerrold Meinwald'. and Thomas and
of Biology Wake Forest University. PO Box 732s Winston Salem. and Behavior, Cornell
University. Ithaca, NY 14853 Contributed by errold Meinwald, October 2000 Males of the moth
GArctidae) acquire pyrroli- zidine alkaloid by feeding on the excrescent fluids of certain plants
(for instance, Eupatorium capillifolium). They incorporate the alkaloid have a pair and as a
resultare protected against spiders. The males filaments, of abdominal pouches. densely packed
with fine outiailar discharge which in allualoid-fed males are alkaloid laden. The males the
filaments on the female in bursts during courtship, embellishing her with alkaloid as a result. The
topical investiture the female against spiders. Alkaloid-free filaments, from males, convey no
such protection. The males also transmit alkaloid to the female by seminal infusion. The
systemic alkaloid thus received, which itself may contribute to the female's defense against
spiders, is bestowed in part by the female the on paternal contribution to egg been demonstrated
for several aretid moths, protective nuptial festooning of afemalebyits mate, such asispracticed
by Cmyrodora, appears to be without parallel among insects. laboratories on their natural larval
foodpla Pyrrolizidine alkaloid paternal investment Ipredation IArctidae. (Asteraceae), providing
the bulk of indiv observations were made. ere we describe the behavior of a moth in which
acquisition Flocoulent. The pouches in the male that of pyrrolizidine alkaloid (henceforth, for
simplicity, some- are two invaginations of the ventral sul times called alkaloid) plays a crucial
role in defense. We (spanning stemites II-IV), ordinarily con demonstrate that the alkaloid is
initially procured by the male icy. The flocculent can be readily from plants, and that the male
derives protection against spiders forceps (Fig 1D).For scanning electron I (Nephila clavipes) as
a result. We demonstrate further that the flocculent were air dried and gold coatu male allocates
some of the acquired alkaloid to a cottony mass of cuticular filaments that he keeps tucked away
in the abdomen Plant Analyses. Air-dried powdered plan and that he discharges on the female in
bursts during courtship. leaves (50 g or E. capillifolium roots We show that the alkaloid-laden
filaments thus bestowed by the Soxhlet apparatus with methanol males protect the female against
N clavipes, whereas alkaloid- the solvent was removed in vacuo, free filaments from control
males that had no access to alkaloid partitioned between dichloromethane provide no such
protection. We show further that the female The aqueous phase was separated, ba receives
additional alkaloid from the male through seminal concentrated aqueous NH, and extra infusion,
an endowment that can itself contribute to her defense ane. After evaporation and filtration, and
that she shares with the eggs. The moth, Cosmosoma myrodora, known as the scarlet-bodied
wasp moth, isa stunningly Micromass (Manchester, U.K) to a eter, operated in positive ion elect
beautiful member of the family Arctiidae (Fig, LA) (1) was undertaken at a field site, the
Archbold reversed-phase column (Metachem study Biological Station, Lake Placid, Highlands

2. County, FL and in ODS-3; solvent water/acetoni plant's N-oxide content, the aqueou our
Henceforth we refer to the moth by its generic designation. 2 N Ha and treated with Zn dus For
the male's mass of filaments, we adopt the term fiocculent. filtration and adjusting to pH 9 by
aqueous NH3, the solution was cl dichloromethane and Materials and Methods mixture of
Solution
Null Hyopthesis is a term used in statistics which states that there is no difference between the
set variables and that the events have occured purely by chance, an initial claim or proposition
that the researcher accepts or rejects.
Ho- All the moths had protection against the spiders.
Alternative Hypothesis- is alternative than the Null hyothesis and the result that are more true
observations. It states that there is a difference between the varibles.
Ha- Only the alkaloid recieved moths had protection against the spiders.