A seasonal census of phenolics, fibre and alkaloids in foliage of forest trees in Costa Rica: some factors influencing their distribution and relation to host selection by Sphingidae and Saturniidae

Abstract

The foliage of 80 species common in the Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica, has been analysed for content of total phenolics, condensed tannins, acid detergent fibre and water. Wherever possible analyses were performed at three stages in the life cycle of the leaf: young but fully expanded (coinciding with the beginning of the rainy season); middle-aged (two months later); and old (six months later). A comparison of the three age classes showed no significant change in the levels of phenolics or fibre as leaves aged but water content decreased significantly. A comparison of deciduous and evergreen species in the sample showed that the latter group had leaves with a significantly higher fibre content at all three sampling times, most particularly at the beginning of the rainy season, but other measures were not significantly different. Alkaloids were much more common in the foliage of deciduous species and it was observed that their distribution differed significantly from that of total phenolics and condensed tannins. It is suggested that the interaction that occurs between many tannins and alkaloids would be liable to reduce the defence capability of both classes of compounds if they occurred together. High levels of defoliation occur in the early rainy season (third to tenth weeks) due to larvae of moths of the Sphingidae and Saturniidae. A comparison of investigated tree species that host larvae of these two taxa shows a striking dichotomy. Species that are selected by Sphingidae tend to be relatively deficient in levels of phenolics but are more likely to contain alkaloids, and probably other small toxic molecules. Saturniidae, on the other hand, appear to prefer host-species rich in phenolics but poor in alkaloids.