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An explanation for the ability of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulz.), to adapt to a plant capable of nicotine biosynthesis has not been resolved experimentally. The work reported offers chemical, radiometric, and histological evidence which suggests that the aphid is able to subsist on tobacco because it feeds in the phloem and avoids the nicotine-containing xylem.
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Guthrie et al. (1962) studied this question.
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