Feeding preferences and foraging in Larvae of Manduca sexta and Spodoptera littoralis : a laboratory study based on olfaction

Larvae of Lepidopteran Manduca sexta and Spodoptera littoralis are pests of economical importance in several horticultural and agricultural crops. Knowledge of insect feeding preferences and behavior is crucial in order to find economically and ecologically sustainable solutions to the problems cau...

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Autor principal: Nyström, Elin
Formato: M2
Lenguaje:Inglés
sueco
Publicado: SLU/Dept. of Biosystems and Technology (from 130101) 2013
Materias:
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author Nyström, Elin
author_browse Nyström, Elin
author_facet Nyström, Elin
author_sort Nyström, Elin
collection Epsilon Archive for Student Projects
description Larvae of Lepidopteran Manduca sexta and Spodoptera littoralis are pests of economical importance in several horticultural and agricultural crops. Knowledge of insect feeding preferences and behavior is crucial in order to find economically and ecologically sustainable solutions to the problems caused by these herbivores. The aim of this thesis was to study the behavior and the induced feeding preferences in larvae of M. sexta and S. littoralis when reared on certain host plants. The hypothesis was that larvae of M. sexta would have an innate preference for plants of the Solanaceae family and therefore discriminate the previously experienced nonhost when faced with the choice between a true host and the previous food source. S. littoralis where hypothesized to prefer the plants on which they previously have been feeding of. Larval dual choice tests were made in an olfactometer, testing the olfactorybased preference of larvae of M. sexta, reared on foliage of oilseed rape, tomato, potato or synthetic diet, and the olfactory- based preference of S. littoralis, reared on foliage of cowpea, cotton, cabbage or synthetic diet. Among the larvae of M. sexta, reared on foliage of potato, there was significant attraction to the prior experienced host while the larvae of S. littoralis preferred cabbage in all experiments, regardless of prior host. M. sexta reared on oilseed rape did not survive long enough to be tested.
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spelling RepoSLU60732013-09-24T09:59:51Z Feeding preferences and foraging in Larvae of Manduca sexta and Spodoptera littoralis : a laboratory study based on olfaction Födopreferenser och sökande av föda hos larver av Manduca sexta och Spodoptera littoralis : en laboratoriestudie baserad på olfaktion Nyström, Elin Manduca sexta Spodoptera littoralis larvae foraging olfaction larval dual choice test induced feeding preference Larvae of Lepidopteran Manduca sexta and Spodoptera littoralis are pests of economical importance in several horticultural and agricultural crops. Knowledge of insect feeding preferences and behavior is crucial in order to find economically and ecologically sustainable solutions to the problems caused by these herbivores. The aim of this thesis was to study the behavior and the induced feeding preferences in larvae of M. sexta and S. littoralis when reared on certain host plants. The hypothesis was that larvae of M. sexta would have an innate preference for plants of the Solanaceae family and therefore discriminate the previously experienced nonhost when faced with the choice between a true host and the previous food source. S. littoralis where hypothesized to prefer the plants on which they previously have been feeding of. Larval dual choice tests were made in an olfactometer, testing the olfactorybased preference of larvae of M. sexta, reared on foliage of oilseed rape, tomato, potato or synthetic diet, and the olfactory- based preference of S. littoralis, reared on foliage of cowpea, cotton, cabbage or synthetic diet. Among the larvae of M. sexta, reared on foliage of potato, there was significant attraction to the prior experienced host while the larvae of S. littoralis preferred cabbage in all experiments, regardless of prior host. M. sexta reared on oilseed rape did not survive long enough to be tested. Larver av Manduca sexta och Spodoptera littoralis, tillhörande ordningen Lepidoptera, är skadegörare av ekonomisk betydelse i flera trädgårds- och jordbruksgrödor. Kunskap om insekters födopreferenser och beteende är avgörande i sökandet efter ekonomiskt och ekologiskt hållbara lösningar på de problem som orsakas av dessa växtätare. Syftet med detta arbete var att studera beteende och inducerad födopreferens hos larver av M. sexta och S. littoralis, uppfödda på vissa värdväxter. Hypotesen var att larver av M. sexta skulle ha en medfödd preferens för växter av familjen Solanaceae och därför diskriminera värden den blivit uppfödd på när den ställs inför valet mellan en ”sann värd” och tidigare näringskälla, om den tidigare näringskällan är en icke-optimal värd. Hypotesen för S. littoralis var att de skulle föredra de växter som de blivit uppfödda på när de ställs inför ett val av värdväxt. Två- valsförsök med larver utfördes i en olfactometer. Larver av M. sexta, uppfödda på blad av raps, tomat, potatis eller syntetisk diet, fick i testet göra ett val mellan värdväxter baserat på dofter. Detsamma gällde larverna av S. littoralis, uppfödda på blad av vignaböna, bomull, kål eller syntetisk diet. Bland de larver av M. sexta, som var uppfödda på blad av potatis, föredrog ett signifikant antal den tidigare förtärda värden medan larver av S. littoralis i alla experiment valde kål, oavsett tidigare värd. M. sexta uppfödda på raps överlevde inte länge nog för att testas i olfaktometern. SLU/Dept. of Biosystems and Technology (from 130101) 2013 M2 eng swe https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/6073/
spellingShingle Manduca sexta
Spodoptera littoralis
larvae
foraging
olfaction
larval dual choice test
induced feeding preference
Nyström, Elin
Feeding preferences and foraging in Larvae of Manduca sexta and Spodoptera littoralis : a laboratory study based on olfaction
title Feeding preferences and foraging in Larvae of Manduca sexta and Spodoptera littoralis : a laboratory study based on olfaction
title_full Feeding preferences and foraging in Larvae of Manduca sexta and Spodoptera littoralis : a laboratory study based on olfaction
title_fullStr Feeding preferences and foraging in Larvae of Manduca sexta and Spodoptera littoralis : a laboratory study based on olfaction
title_full_unstemmed Feeding preferences and foraging in Larvae of Manduca sexta and Spodoptera littoralis : a laboratory study based on olfaction
title_short Feeding preferences and foraging in Larvae of Manduca sexta and Spodoptera littoralis : a laboratory study based on olfaction
title_sort feeding preferences and foraging in larvae of manduca sexta and spodoptera littoralis : a laboratory study based on olfaction
topic Manduca sexta
Spodoptera littoralis
larvae
foraging
olfaction
larval dual choice test
induced feeding preference