Question

If an insect eats Balsam Fir, it never matures into the adult stage because it ingests a lot of this chemical defence:______

Answer 1

The chemical defense that prevents an insect from maturing into the adult stage when it eats Balsam Fir is toxins.

Step-by-step explanation:

The chemical defense that prevents an insect from maturing into the adult stage when it eats Balsam Fir is toxins.

Plants, like the Balsam Fir, produce diverse chemicals that influence herbivory. Some of these chemicals are feeding deterrents that can be poisonous to insects. When an insect ingests these toxins, it can disrupt their normal development, preventing them from reaching the adult stage.

An example of this chemical defense in action is the Monarch butterfly, which acquires a poison from the milkweed plants it eats. The chemical deters predation, but does not benefit the plant.