Page 26 - Volume 4, Issue 2, July 2011

© Benaki Phytopathological Institute
Lixus umbellatarum on the Opopanax chironium 55
ta, Portevin).
The presence of L. umbellatarum has
been confirmed in France (Corsica) (14, 15)
and in Italy (Latsio, Campania, Pulia, Sardin-
ia) (14). According toHoffman (9), the insect is
rare in the French mainland but abundant in
Corsica, feeding on miscellaneous Apiaceae
such as Ferula communis L., Pastinaca lutea
L. and O. chironium. It is also found in Spain,
Portugal, Algeria and Morocco. There are ‘no
data’ for its presence in the Greek mainland
and the islands (19).
The host plants of L. umbellatarum be-
long to the families Apiaceae, Chenopo-
diaceae, Polygonaceae, Caryophylaceae,
Brassicaceae (Cruciferae), Lamiaceae (Labi-
atae), Papilionaceae, Capparidae, Malvace-
ae and Geraniaceae. The larvae of the wee-
vil feed on the internodes of the stem; they
bore straight descending galleries through
petioles and stems attaining the plant’s
‘neck’ or the upper part of the roots. (12).
Hibernation takes place in the adult stage,
usually in the soil, appearing during March
and April and feeding up to September. Pu-
pation takes place at the end of the galleries
and life cycle usually lasts one year.
The present report associates feeding
of the weevil L. umbellatarum on O. chiro-
nium with the produce of resin by the plant.
Opopanax chironium is richly celebrated
through history for the medicinal properties
of its resin, Panacea, applied mainly as anal-
gesic and venom’s antidote (4). Among the
natural products that have been identified
in O. chironium are C-17 acetylenes (2), vari-
ous phthalides in the roots (6), coumarin de-
rivatives (1, 8) and irregular diterpenoids (11),
while crude extracts of the plant present sig-
nificant apoptotic activity (1). Opopanax sp.
resin and oil are also used as a direct food
additive (18), expectorant and antispasmod-
ic (5, 11) and in perfumery (5). Despite this
extensive use of Opopanax sp. resin, the
presence of L. umbellatarum has never been
reported before as a stimulating agent that
induces resin production. This suggestion
is advocated by the fact that several of its
compounds, such as coumarins, furanocou-
marins and flavonoids, are identified as con-
stitutive antifungal agents or phytoalexins
(10). Experimental investigation is required
in order to ascertain the recorded insect-
plant interaction and determine the role of
the weevil in the induction of Panacea.
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