Harmonia axyridis as a model for predator adaptation to chemically defended prey

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Abstract: Harmonia axyridis is a stronger intraguild predator of other ladybirds than are many other ladybird species. A correlate of this is that H. axyridis is better at resisting the toxic effectsof the alkaloids of allospecific ladybird prey. This makes H. axyridis an ideal species with whichto investigate the adaptations of predators to feeding on potentially toxic chemically defendedprey. In this paper we discuss recent studies that, for the first time, have thrown light on thenature of and mechanisms involved in H. axyridis alkaloid resistance. We focus on the findingthat H. axyridis is relatively poorly adapted to prey containing novel alkaloids in areas where it isexotic and on the fate of suitable and unsuitable prey alkaloids after ingestion by the intraguildpredator.

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