Oviposition choice of Mexican bean beetle (Epilachna varivestis) depends on host plants cyanogenic capacity.

The choice of insect females as to where to lay their eggs strongly affects progeny survival and, thus, fitness. We conducted choice experiments with female Mexican bean beetles, which were offered lima bean plants differing in their cyanogenic capacity (HCNc), i.e., in the intensity of hydrogen cyanide release per time unit from damaged plant tissue. Females preferred to lay their eggs on plants with low HCNc. In contrast, the mere concentration of cyanide-containing precursors (the cyanogenic potential, HCNp) did not affect oviposition choices. Plant cyanogenesis occurs after tissue damage, which brings specific beta-glucosidases in contact with their substrates, cyanogenic glycosides, from which they are separated by compartmentation in the intact plant tissue. Plants commonly store toxic compounds in an inactive form. Our results demonstrate that for cyanogenesis, which is widespread in plants, it is the toxic product itself rather than the precursor that affects oviposition choices of a specialized herbivore.