The effects of hydroxamic acid on specialist and generalist Diabrotica spp

Plants and insect herbivores have lived and interacted in nature through a dynamic process.  Plants have equipped with constitutive and induced defense system to defense themselves to insect herbivores by producing secondary metabolites, macromolecules, and defensive structures.  Similarly, in order to cope with the defended plants, insects have developed counter adaptation through some behavioral and molecular mechanisms to survive on the plants. Maize contains hydroxamic acids that can act as feeding deterrent, toxin, or inhibitor for insect digestive proteases and detoxification enzymes.  The predominant hydroxamic acid contain in maize is DIMBOA (2-4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one).   Maize with mutant of BX1 gene, which function in DIMBOA biosynthesis was used to manipulate the exposure of the specialist and generalist corn rootworms to the plant’s defenses.  Percent survival, head capsule and growth stages were compared between corn rootworm larvae fed on roots of mutant and wild type maize.  After feeding for 10 d, DIMBOA gave no significant negative effect to the growth of the larvae.