Botanical Literature Details

• Author(s)

  Berkov, A., Meurer-Grimes, B., Purzycki, K. L.

• Article or Chapter Title

  Do Lecythidaceae specialists (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) shun fetid tree species?

• Year

  2000

• Journal or Book

  Biotropica 32(3): 440-451

• Notes

  A year-long rearing project in the rainforests of central French Guiana yielded 1813 cerambycid beetles belonging to 37 species. Two of the five tree species, Couratari stellata and Gustavia hexapetala, yielded low numbers of cerambycids and those that emerged from these species were mostly generalist beetles. The wood of these two species yields fetid aromas and sulfur compounds accounted for almost 15% of the volatile compounds of C. stellata. Well colonized species did not stink and did not have significant amounts of sulfur compounds. The authors hypothesize that sulfur compounds act as a deterrent of cerambycid beetles.
  
  KEYWORDS = Corythophora amapaensis, Couratari stellata, Eschweilera coriacea, fetid wood, French Guiana, Gustavia hexapetala, host specificity, Lecythidaceae, Lecythis poiteaui, plant-insect interactions, S-methymethionine, sulfur compounds