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Abstract
Jeffrey Harborne and colleagues have been responsible for collating the majority of
data on the role of flavonoids in insect plant interactions. This article examines
some of this information and assesses our knowledge about the role flavonoids play
in insect feeding and oviposition behaviour. It is clear that insects can discriminate
among flavonoids and that these compounds can modulate the feeding and oviposition
behaviour of insects, but further work is required to understand the neural mechanisms
associated with these behavioural responses. Despite the wealth of data about the
diversity of flavonoids in plants, very few of these compounds have been tested against
insects and their role in the evolution of host range in insect--plant interactions
has yet to be determined.