THE Behavior and nutritional physiology of southern armyworm larvae as a function of plant species consumed in earlier instars
1982
Scriber, J. Mark
Few differences were observed in biomass digestibility (AD) as related to previous instar feeding experience of the polyphagous southern armyworm, Spodoptera eridania, on leaves of paper birch, Betula papyrifera; mountain ash, Sorbus americana; and black cherry, Prunus serotina. However, significant improvements of nitrogen utilization efficiencies (NUE's) were observed with previous feeding experience for larvae fed paper birch and mountain ash. For larvae fed black cherry, the assimilation efficiency of biomass and nitrogen utilization efficiency in all treatments were greater than for paper birch and mountain ash, however, final instar growth rates were lowest. In addition, pupae for all replicates of certain cherry-fed treatments were deformed and died. This physiological stress was manifested in the pre-pupal stage as an elongated, bloated appearance, yet the nutritional indices for biomass or nitrogen budgets provided no premonition of any such irregularity. Possible biochemical mechanisms which might be involved (e.g., induction of digestive enzymes and/or detoxication enzymes and their interaction with hormone systems) remain to be analyzed.
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by National Agricultural Library