Caterpillars Deploy Molecular Sabotage Against Plants

Caterpillars Deploy Molecular Sabotage Against Plants

Last summer, my wife grew Kale in the garden as she decided this would be healthy. Fortunately, by the time they would have been ready for harvest, their leaves were a lattice of lacework. Good news for wildlife, and anyone who dislikes Kale. But there’s a puzzle. The bitter taste that causes me to dislike brassicas so much is part of the plant’s defence against getting eaten, so how can caterpillars happily munch their way through the leaves wi…