xmas quiz question ....

[Doug Yanega]

Nick Greatorex-Davies wrote:

>I was once informed that Burnet moths (members of the Zygaenidae), and
>notably those species that feed on Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus
>corniculatus) contained enough cyanide in half of one full-fed caterpillar
>to kill a grown man. Species include Six-spot Burnet (Zygaena
>filipendulae) and  Five-spot Burnet (Z. trifolii). I would be interested
>to hear if anyone has additional or confirmatory information.

New World Zygaenids also contain cyanide, and are notorious for refusing to
die in cyanide jars (except from exhaustion).

[NOTE THAT I WILL BE LEAVING BRAZIL ON FEB 13]

Doug Yanega    Depto. de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas,
Univ. Fed. de Minas Gerais, Cx.P. 486, 30.161-970 Belo Horizonte, MG   BRAZIL
phone: 31-499-2579, fax: 31-499-2567  (from U.S., prefix 011-55)
                  http://www.icb.ufmg.br/~dyanega/
  "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
        is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82