Temperature- and Diet-Induced Plasticity of Growth and Digestive Enzymes Activity in Spongy Moth Larvae.

ABSTRACT: Temperature and food quality are the most important environmental factors determining the performance of herbivorous insects. The objective of our study was to evaluate the responses of the spongy moth (formerly known as the gypsy moth) [Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Erebidae)] to simultaneous variation in these two factors. From hatching to the fourth instar, larvae were exposed to three temperatures (19 °C, 23 °C, and 28 °C) and fed four artificial diets that differed in protein (P) and carbohydrate (C) content. Within each temperature regime, the effects of the nutrient content (P+C) and ratio (P:C) on development duration, larval mass, growth rate, and activities of digestive proteases, carbohydrases, and lipase were examined. It was found that temperature and food quality h

SUBMITTER: Lazarevic J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10216847 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature