<I>Pieris brassicae</I> (IMAGE)

Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

<I>Pieris brassicae</I>

Caption

Some caterpillars, such as those of the Large White butterfly, are well known by gardeners, as they can cause severe damage on cabbage and related plants due to their evolutionary optimized adaption to glucosinolates. The activity and number of genes that enable these butterflies to feed on cabbage plants varies between species, causing an optimized detoxification of their favored cabbage host plant.

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Courtesy of Hanna Heidel-Fischer, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

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