Cardiac glycosides in the defensive secretion of chrysomelid beetles: evidence for their production by the insects

Abstract

The defensive secretions of some chrysomelid beetles belonging to the genera Chrysolina, Chrysochloa, and Dlochrysa contain complex mixtures of cardenolides. The spectral data for some of these compounds suggest that they are monohydroxylated digitoxigenin derivatives linked to a pentose (such as xylose or arabinose). Evidence indicates that the beetles do not sequester these steroid glycosides from their host plants.