June 21,
Blue Hills Reservation, Milton
Sawflies are able to feed on false hellebore, a famously toxic plant, which is out of boundaries for the majority of inverterbrates and vertebrates. They sequester the toxic alkaloids, thus protecting themselves from predators. The European species R. nodicornis consumes the European false hellebore Veratrum album. The eastern North American species R. nubilipennis feeds on V. viride.
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