Sequestration
- Pronunciation
- /se-kwee-STRAY-shun/
- Category
- Behavior
- Singular
- Sequestration
- Plural
- Sequestrations
Definition
The process by which insects store toxic compounds from their food plants in their bodies for defensive purposes.
Etymology
From Latin 'sequestrare', meaning 'to separate or sequester'.
Example
Milkweed butterflies sequester toxins from milkweed plants, making them distasteful to predators.
Related Terms
- Allelochemicals
- Defense mechanisms
- Toxicity