Premium
Compensatory feeding in response to variable food quality by Melanoplus differentialis
Author(s) -
YANG YUELONG,
JOERN ANTHONY
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
physiological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-3032
pISSN - 0307-6962
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3032.1994.tb01077.x
Subject(s) - biology , quality (philosophy) , zoology , epistemology , philosophy
. The behavioural mechanisms driving compensatory food consumption in response to dietary dilution as well as the relationship between feeding time and food residence time (i.e. digesta retention time in the gut) were studied using the non‐diapausing strain of the grasshopper Melanoplus differentialis (Thomas) (Orthoptera: Acrididae). 3‐day‐old, sixth‐instar nymphs and 3‐day‐old adults were fed artificial diets containing 1%, 3% and 5% total nitrogen (N) at 30d̀C, LD 14:10h; the feeding behaviour was recorded using electronic monitoring devices connected to microcomputers for 24 h. The percentage of time spent feeding increased linearly as diets were diluted using non‐digestible cellulose from 5% to 1% N. This response was due to an increase in the number of meals while the meal duration of a feeding bout was unaltered. Sixth‐instar nymphs spent about 40% more time feeding than the larger adults. The increased feeding time in nymphs resulted from both more frequent feeding bouts and longer meal duration. Feeding time and food residence time were highly negatively related.