>
>As a reptile and amphibian keeper, I've had occassion to utilize all sorts
of
>crawlies for frog-food; early on I learned that sowbugs have a toxic
compound
>that makes them distasteful to almost all animals ( I believe it is a
>cyanide-based compound but I could find no references in my library - all my
>insect books don't include isopods )
>I think that was the cause of the VFT necrosis and die-back. Perhaps other
>growers have similar experiences?
>
>Dravid Gray,
If I remember my biochemistry right cyanide react with two processes in an
"animals". One is methemoglobin, which when combine with cyanide is nontoxic
and is converted to hemoglobin and cyanate (which is also nontoxic). The
second and most toxic is cyanides combination with cytochromes in the
mitochondrion.
I'm not certain but I thought both methemoglobin and mitochodrions were
animal "things". If they are and plants do not have them how would it harm
the VFTs?
Maybe one of our biochemists or botanists could help...Especially if I'm
mistaken about cyanide actions and plant organelles.
This is not to say that sow bugs don't produce a toxin to plants in general
and VFTs specifically.
Just some thoughts,
Doug Maupin