Induction of orientational and feeding preferences in manduca sexta larvae for different food sources
1982
SAXENA, K.N. | SCHOONHOVEN, L.M.
Literature reports on preference induction do not specify whether the increased food uptake of the plant on which the insects were reared is due to an increased distance attraction of the preferred food or to an increased feeding intensity once that insect has contacted the food. The present report shows that orientational responses to certain food types increase due to previous feeding experiences. In some cases also feeding responses to a certain food increase due to previous exposure to it. Moreover, it was shown that different test procedures, i.e. no-choice situations vs. dual choice situations, may lead to different conclusions with respect to behavioural preferences. Manduca sexta larvae were reared from the egg stage untill the last larval-instar on radish, a non-host plant, sustaining a mortality of 50%. When grown on either artificial diet, tomato or radish, a preference is induced for the rearing medium. These preferences are composed of increased orientational responses and/or increased feeding responses.
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