Tronchuda cabbage flavonoids uptake by Pieris brassicae

The flavonoid pattern of larvae of cabbage white butterfly (Pieris brassicae L.; Lepidoptera: Pieridae) reared on the leaves of tronchuda cabbage was analysed by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS-ESI. Twenty kaempferol and quercetin derivatives were identified or characterised. The results suggest that P. brassicae is able to selectively sequester quercetin derivatives and to metabolize dietary flavonoids.