We have examined changes in feeding behavior and growth in 4th and 5th instar corn earworm larvae on artificial diet following varying periods of food deprivation. For both instars, hourly weight loss during starvation was highest in the first hour following removal from food and declined to a low, but consistent level in subsequent hours. When starved animals were re-introduced to food, nutritional indices increased markedly in the first hour on diet, but returned to control (un-starved) levels in subsequent hours. Fecal pellet production, hemolymph composition, and the feeding time budgets were also examined for changes related to duration of starvation.
Species 1: Lepidoptera Noctuidae Helicoverpa zea (corn earworm)
Keywords: feeding behavior, nutritional indices
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