Sequestration of cucurbitacins from cucumber plants by larvae provides little protection against biological control agents.

Unlabelled: Cucurbitaceae plants produce cucurbitacins, bitter triterpenoids, to protect themselves against various insects and pathogens. Adult banded cucumber beetles (), a common pest of maize and cucurbits, sequester cucurbitacins, presumably as a defensive mechanism against their natural enemies, which might reduce the efficacy of biological control agents. Whether the larvae also sequester and are protected by cucurbitacins is unclear.

Caterpillar-Induced Volatile Emissions in Cotton: The Relative Importance of Damage and Insect-Derived Factors.

In response to herbivore attack, plants release large amounts of volatiles that can serve as attractants for the natural enemies of the attacking herbivores. Such responses are typically triggered by damage- and insect-associated factors. Cotton plants are somewhat peculiar because they release specific blends of volatiles in two waves in response to caterpillar attack.