Predation drives specialized host plant associations in preadapted milkweed bugs (Heteroptera: Lygaeinae)
G. Petschenka, R. Halitschke, A. Roth, S. Stiehler, L. Tenbusch, T. Züst, C. Hartwig, J. F. Moreno Gamez, R. Trusch, J. Deckert, K. Chalusova, A. Vilcinskas, A. Exnerova
The paper shows that predation pressure drives host plant specialization in milkweed bugs by selecting for toxin sequestration abilities, even when new toxins are not exploited.
bioRxiv · Jun 16, 2020 · PreprintEvolutionary Biology