PRODUCTION OF CARDENOLIDES IN DIFFERENT LIFE STAGES OF THE CHRYSOMELID BEETLE OREINA-GLORIOSA

Cardenolide production in larval, pupal, and adult leaf beetles Oreina gloriosa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is compared. Significantly diffe rent levels of cardenolides were found in the various developmental st ages of this species: early and late fourth-instar larvae (14 and 19 n mol, respectively), pupae (10 nmol), 1-day-old imagos (8 nmol). The de velopmental effects on individual cardenolides were considerable. Wher eas fourth-instar larvae and pupae mainly produce diglycosides eta-D-x ylopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-allopyranoside] and ta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1- ->4)-beta-D-allopyranoside]) and their corresponding monoglycosides, t he mixture of cardenolides in adult beetles is clearly more complex, c ontaining increased amounts of acetylated mono- and diglycosides. Ther e were at least 13 different cardenolides in extracts of 1-day-old ima gos, spanning a broader range of polarity than the highly polar carden olides found in extracts of the immature beetles. The biological signi ficance of these chemical differences is discussed.