饲料含氮量对棉铃虫发育和繁殖的影响

分别用含氮量为1.48%、2.31%、2.89%和3.64%的人工饲料和嫩棉铃饲养棉铃虫(Heliotkls arraigera),测定6龄幼虫对食物和氮的利用效率,并研究饲料氮对棉铃虫发育和繁殖的影响.结果表明,随饲料含氮量的增加,幼虫发育历期减短,6龄幼虫的干重和食物利用率均有所增加,虫体和虫类的含氮量增高.当饲料含氮量从1.48%增加到2.89%时,氮累积速率(NAR)增长了45%,氮利用率(NUR)增加16%,种群增长指数增加65%.饲料氮从2.89%增至3.64%,NAR值不变,NUR值和种群增长指数分别下降25%和10%.饲料含氮量在1.48%和2.89%之间时,正是棉铃中含氮量变化的幅度,在这幅度间对棉铃虫发育繁殖的影晌最大.饲料含氮量在2.31%至2.89%时,是幼虫生长发育最适宜的范围,成虫繁殖力最强.这是它对寄主作物长期适应的结果.饲料含氮量过高或过低对棉铃虫的发育和繁殖都是不利的.     

棉铃虫的紫云英-麦胚人工饲料

用不同人工饲料连续饲养棉铃虫Heliothis armtgera;通过试验比较,设计和发展了适合于大量饲养棉铃虫的紫云英-麦胚人工饲料。与自然饲料相比,用这种人工饲料饲养的棉铃虫发育快、存活率高、蛹大、成虫产卵多。已经用紫云英-麦胚人工饲料连续饲养棉铃虫16代,各代幼虫的存活率在85—97%之间,成虫平均产卵1,000多粒,孵化率不低于70%。6龄幼虫对这种人工饲料的利用和转化效率分别是26.7%和65.0%。     

转基因抗虫棉对棉铃虫及其内寄生蜂的双重效应

以含1%转基因（Cry1A+CpTI）抗虫棉“中抗310”棉叶粉的人工饲料为基础,建立一套抗虫棉 棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera 棉铃虫幼虫内寄生蜂中红侧沟茧蜂Microplitis mediator和棉铃虫齿唇姬蜂Campoletis chlorideae的三级营养关系的研究系统,研究了转基因抗虫棉对棉铃虫及内寄生蜂的双重效应,分析比较了6种状态的棉铃虫生长发育动态,以及寄生蜂的生长状况。结果表明,无论是否被寄生,抗虫棉对棉铃虫生长发育的抑制作用都非常显著;寄生取食抗虫棉饲料的棉铃虫的寄生蜂,其出茧率和茧重都显著下降,对于中红侧沟茧蜂,出茧率和茧重分别下降了26.1%和1.0 mg;对于棉铃虫齿唇姬蜂,分别下降了17.9%和5.1 mg。解剖寄主发现,两种寄生蜂在取食抗虫棉饲料的寄主体内发育缓慢并出现部分畸形幼蜂。棉铃虫幼虫血淋巴总蛋白含量和血淋巴蛋白SDS-PAGE电泳分析表明,取食抗虫棉饲料后,棉铃虫血淋巴总蛋白含量低于相应的对照,推测寄主血淋巴蛋白含量降低是导致寄生蜂生长缓慢、发育不正常的一个重要原因。     

CO2浓度升高对棉铃虫生长发育和繁殖的直接影响

利用CDCC-1型密闭式动态CO2气室,在人工饲料下研究了不同CO2浓度（750μl/L vs．370μl/L）对棉铃虫生长发育和繁殖的直接影响,以及对棉铃虫幼虫体内营养物质和酶的含量。结果表明：（1）高CO2浓度大气中生长的棉铃虫种群发育延缓,单雌产卵量增加,虫体重量减轻,内禀增长率下降,而对人工饲料的消耗量和粪便排泄量增加。与对照相比,高CO2浓度下饲养的棉铃虫幼虫的发育历期延缓了15．14％（P〈0．01）,幼虫的取食量增加了8．03％（P〈0．01）,粪便量增加了14．54％（P〈0．05）。（2）高CO2浓度可影响棉铃虫幼虫对人工饲料的利用效率。与对照相比,在750μl/L CO2饲养下棉铃虫幼虫的相对消耗率、生长效率,食物转化率和近似消化率均有所降低。（3）高CO2浓度还改变了棉铃虫幼虫体内的营养物质的含量和酶的活性。与对照比较,750μl/L CO2饲养下棉铃虫幼虫体内蛋白质和总氨基酸含量分别下降了14．16％（P〈0．01）和28．40％（P〈0．01）;超氧化物歧化酶、乙酰胆碱酯酶和淀粉酶的活性分别增加了26．43％、9．12％和40．17％,而谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶的活性则下降了20．25％（P〈0．01）。     

不同施氮量的寄主植物对棉铃虫发育与繁殖的影响

在光暗比(14,10)、温(27±1)℃、湿(60%一80%RH)环境模拟箱内,研究了取食低、中、高三种不同施氮量的棉花、小麦、玉米和大豆繁殖器官对棉铃虫Helicoverpaarmigera(Hubner)发育与繁殖的影响,并通过对不同施氮量寄主植物繁殖器官的成分分析,探讨了造成这些影响的原因。结果表明,四种寄主植物的C/N比均随施氮量的增加而降低,并且大豆的C/N比(分别为0.5、0.4和0.3)<棉花(分别为1.1、0.9和0.9)<小麦(分别为4.5、4.O和3.8)<玉米(分别为5.2、4.2和4.2)。取食不同的施氮量寄主植物对棉铃虫发育和存活的影响主要表现在低龄(1～3龄)幼虫期,即随寄主植物C/N比下降,低龄幼虫的发育历期缩短,存活率提高;并且取食C/N较低的寄主植物的发育速度和存活率高于取食C/N较高的寄主植物。随着施氮量的增加,取食不同寄主植物的棉铃虫成虫产卵量均呈上升趋势;取食较低C/N比寄主植物的种群增长指数呈先后升后降趋势,而取食较高C/N比的寄主植物则呈上升趋势。取食C/N比适中的寄主植物更有利于该害虫的繁殖及其种群增长,C/N比太高或太低均不太有利。不同施氮量的寄主植物对棉铃虫发育与繁殖的影响是由于其体内碳水化合物和蛋白质含量的差异及两者间比例的不同所致。     

食物对棉铃虫生长发育及繁殖的影响

用棉花、花生、玉米及人工饲料作为食料,模拟幼虫田间取食习性,同时为雌蛾设立补充和无补充营养两个处理,研究了食物对棉铃虫 Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) 生长发育及繁殖的影响。4种食料组幼虫历期之间有显著差异;雌、雄蛹重花生组显著小于其余三组。雌蛾腹部干重及其脂肪百分含量与雌蛹体重的排列顺序一样,雌蛾腹部干重人工饲料组显著大于棉花组和花生组。雌蛾寿命和繁殖受幼虫食料和成虫食物的双重影响。喂10%蜂蜜时,雌蛾寿命、交配率和产卵量在四个幼虫食料组之间没有显著差异。但喂以清水时,花生组雌蛾均未交配,寿命和产卵量显著小于其余三组。从同种幼虫食料来看,除人工饲料组外,其余3组雌蛾喂清水时的产卵量和寿命均比喂10%蜂蜜溶液时的显著下降。基于这些结果,作者认为棉花、玉米比花生更适合于棉铃虫的生长发育和繁殖。在田间自然栽培状态下,不同食料植物的糖分含量对棉铃虫生长发育和繁殖影响较大,含氮量的变化影响小。     

营养和幼期密度对棉铃虫飞翔能力的影响

采自棉花、玉米、花生、绿豆和芝麻5种作物上的棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera(Hubner),其飞翔能力依次为：棉花和玉米>花生>绿豆和芝麻。对室内利用人工饲料、棉铃、棉蕾和棉叶饲养的棉铃虫吊飞表明,取食人工饲料和棉铃的个体的飞翔能力数倍于取食棉叶者。成虫体重越大,飞翔能力越强。获得补充营养个体的飞翔距离是无补充营养者的2倍左右。本试验还研究了食物质量对棉铃虫卵巢发育的影响,结果显示成虫期的补充营养明显影响幼期营养较差个体的卵巢发育进程。对不同幼虫密度下发育个体的吊飞则表明成虫的飞翔能力和幼期密度关系不大。鉴于较差的营养条件和较高的幼期密度并不导致成虫飞翔能力的增加,本文认为,棉铃虫的远距离运动是成虫对羽化阶段不良环境的行为反应。     

棉铃虫人工饲料的研究

为了实现棉铃虫病毒的全年生产和工厂化,人工饲料的研制极为重要。 国外有关棉铃虫人工饲料的报道较多,如Shcrey(1963)用半人工饲料(Bean diet)饲养棉夜蛾等。Falcon(1967)用人工饲料大量饲养美国棉铃虫进行颗粒体病毒的研究。但国内有关棉铃虫人工饲料的正式报道尚少。1974年以来,我们根据18种天然饲料喂养棉铃虫的试验结果,对棉铃虫(Heliothis armigcra)人工饲料进行了改进和研究,从37种配方中选出了原料来源广、成本较低、效果优于天然饲料的“3号饲料”配方。1977年10月以来,室内连续喂养棉铃虫24代,实验种群生长、发育、繁殖仍然正常。我们的饲养方法是:     

幼虫期染镉对棕尾别麻蝇繁殖力及生殖腺发育的影响

通过在饲料中添加重金属镉(Cd)饲喂棕尾别麻蝇Boettcherisca peregrine的幼虫,研究镉对其成虫繁殖能力和生殖腺发育的影响.结果表明,棕尾别麻蝇幼虫在取食含100 μg/g、200 μg/g、400 μg/g和800 μg／g Cd2的人工饲料后,成虫的羽化率和寿命都明显下降;但镉处理对成虫的交配率无...     

棉铃虫对氮的消耗和利用

在25℃下分别用棉叶/桃和人工饲料饲养棉铃虫(Heliothis armigera),测定幼虫对食物中氮的利用效率,以及通过棉铃虫不同发育期的氮流.除棉叶/桃组2—3龄幼虫的氮累积速率低于4龄幼虫外,两组幼虫对食物中氮的消耗速率、虫体氮的累积速率(毫克氮/毫克千重/天)和幼虫含氮百分率均随幼虫龄期的增加而降低.氮的排出速率(毫克氮/毫克干重/天)在2—3龄期间趋于降低,但4龄以后略有升高,幼虫发育后期的粪便含氮百分率也趋于升高.因此,幼虫在4龄以后对食物中氮的利用效率显著降低,表明它对氮的需要逐渐减少.人工饲料的含氮量约比棉桃高70%,但棉叶/桃组幼虫对氮的同化效率却比人工饲料组幼虫高10%左右.两组雌蛹—成虫的氮转化率在71—74%之间.雌蛾含有的氮约有37%(人工饲料组)—45%(棉叶/棉桃组〕用于繁衍后代.本试验提供的资料结合含糖量和含水分较多的寄主植物器官对幼虫有较好营养效应的假设可以比较合理地解释棉铃虫在田间的为害习性.     

The effect of adult diet on the biology of butterflies

Summary Euploea core is a long lived butterfly which lays a few relatively large eggs each day. In such a species it is unlikely that reserves of carbohydrate and amino acid accumulated during the larval instars would be sufficient to last its entire adult life. Female E. core were kept in a large flight cage and assigned to one of four treatments. Each treatment comprised a different concentration of sugar and amino acid in the adult diet of the butterflies. Individuals with 25% sugar in their diet lived for longer and attained higher fecundities than those with 1% sugar in their diet. Butterflies on the 1% sugar diet removed greater volumes of food solution than those on the 25% sugar diet. The availability of amino acids in the adult diet had no marked effect on longevity and, if anything, had a negative effect on fecundity. The composition of the adult diet had no discernable effect on egg weight in this species. Sugar is shown to be an important component of the adult diet of E. core but their requirement for amino acids in their adult diet remains unresolved. Finally, using the known volume of food solution removed each day, estimates were made of the minimum amount of energy required by this species each day and the amount of energy required to produce an egg.     

Interactions among morphotype,nutrition, and temperature impact fitness of an invasive fly

Invasive animals depend on finding a balanced nutritional intake to colonize, survive, and reproduce in new environments. This can be especially challenging during situations of fluctuating cold temperatures and food scarcity, but phenotypic plasticity may offer an adaptive advantage during these periods. We examined how lifespan, fecundity, pre‐oviposition periods, and body nutrient contents were affected by dietary protein and carbohydrate (P:C) ratios at variable low temperatures in two morphs (winter morphs WM and summer morphs SM) of an invasive fly, Drosophila suzukii. The experimental conditions simulated early spring after overwintering and autumn, crucial periods for survival. At lower temperatures, post‐overwintering WM lived longer on carbohydrate‐only diets and had higher fecundity on low‐protein diets, but there was no difference in lifespan or fecundity among diets for SM. As temperatures increased, low‐protein diets resulted in higher fecundity without compromising lifespan, while high‐protein diets reduced lifespan and fecundity for both WM and SM. Both SM and WM receiving high‐protein diets had lower sugar, lipid, and glycogen (but similar protein) body contents compared to flies receiving low‐protein and carbohydrate‐only diets. This suggests that flies spend energy excreting excess dietary protein, thereby affecting lifespan and fecundity. Despite having to recover from nutrient depletion after an overwintering period, WM exhibited longer lifespan and higher fecundity than SM in favorable diets and temperatures. WM exposed to favorable low‐protein diet had higher body sugar, lipid, and protein body contents than SM, which is possibly linked to better performance. Although protein is essential for oogenesis, WM and SM flies receiving low‐protein diets did not have shorter pre‐oviposition periods compared to flies on carbohydrate‐only diets. Finding adequate carbohydrate sources to compensate protein intake is essential for the successful persistence of D. suzukii WM and SM populations during suboptimal temperatures.     

Development of probiotic diets for the olive fly: evaluation of their effects on fly longevity and fecundity

One possible control strategy against the olive fly, Bactrocera oleae, the most serious olive crop pest, is the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) application. However, a number of problems associated with this method remain that decrease the effectiveness of SIT, including the quality of reared insects. Taking the importance of the relationship between the olive fly and bacteria into consideration, the effects of probiotic diets enriched with Pseudomonas putida on B. oleae longevity and fecundity were evaluated. First, we found that the probiotic bacterium, P. putida, is conveyed from diets to the oesophageal bulb as well as to the fly midgut after feeding on the probiotic diet. Subsequently, B. oleae adults fed on either: (a) a standard full protein and sugar diet; (b) a sugar only diet; (c) a probiotic standard full protein and sugar diet; or (d) a probiotic sugar diet. Flies fed on probiotic diets were supplied with an inoculated gel containing P. putida; non‐inoculated gel was provided to the flies fed on non‐probiotic diets. B. oleae males and females that fed on sugar diets did not survive as long as those that fed on protein diets. A comparison of the longevity of adults fed on full diet and sugar with their respective probiotic diets revealed no significant difference. Males fed on the sugar only diet survived longer than males fed on probiotic sugar diet, and females fed on the full protein and sugar diet survived much longer than females fed on the full probiotic diet. As regarding fecundity, both full diets resulted in a higher number of eggs laid per female. Females fed on the probiotic sugar diet laid a higher number of eggs than females that fed on sugar only. The inoculated gel of the probiotic sugar diet contained a significantly higher quantity of leucine, isoleucine and proline than the non‐inoculated gel of the sugar only diet. The possible role of dietary bacteria in relation to functional aspects of olive fly physiology is discussed.     

OXIDIZED LIPIDS DID NOT REDUCE LIFESPAN IN THE FRUIT FLY,Drosophila melanogaster

Aging is often associated with accumulation of oxidative damage in proteins and lipids. However, some studies do not support this view, raising the question of whether high levels of oxidative damage are associated with lifespan. In the current investigation, Drosophila melanogaster flies were kept on diets with 2 or 10% of either glucose or fructose. The lifespan, fecundity, and feeding as well as amounts of protein carbonyls (PC) and lipid peroxides (LOOH), activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione‐S‐transferase (GST), and glutathione reductase activity of thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) were measured in “young” (10‐day old) and “aged” (50‐day old) flies. Flies maintained on diets with 10% carbohydrate lived longer than those on the 2% diets. However, neither lifespan nor fecundity was affected by the type of carbohydrate. The amount of PC was unaffected by diet and age, whereas flies fed on diets with 10% carbohydrate had about fivefold higher amounts of LOOH compared to flies maintained on the 2% carbohydrate diets. Catalase activity was significantly lower in flies fed on diets with 10% carbohydrates compared to flies on 2% carbohydrate diets. The activities of SOD, GST, and TrxR were not affected by the diet or age of the flies. The higher levels of LOOH in flies maintained on 10% carbohydrate did not reduce their lifespan, from which we infer that oxidative damage to only one class of biomolecules, particularly lipids, is not sufficient to influence lifespan.     

The glucogenic response of a parasitized insect Manduca sexta L. is partially mediated by differential nutrient intake

Induction of gluconeogenesis is accelerated in larvae of the insect Manduca sexta L. parasitized by Cotesia congregata (Say), maintaining the concentration of the blood sugar trehalose, an important nutrient for parasite development. Investigation has demonstrated that when host larvae are offered a choice of diets with varying levels of sucrose and casein, parasitized insects consume a different balance of these nutrients, principally due to a decrease in protein consumption. The result is metabolic homeostasis, with normal unparasitized and parasitized larvae exhibiting similar levels of gluconeogenesis and blood sugar level. In the present study, normal unparasitized and parasitized larvae were maintained on individual chemically defined diets having the balance of protein and carbohydrate consumed by each when offered a dietary choice. Total dietary nutrient, the sum of carbohydrate and protein, was provided at six levels, composed of three pairs of diets. Each diet pair consisting of diets having equivalent overall nutrient ratios of 2:1 and 1:1 casein/sucrose. Host growth and diet consumption were significantly affected by dietary nutrient level and the magnitude of these effects was influenced by parasitism. Due to the effects of dietary nutrient level on diet consumption, none of the unparasitized and parasitized larvae within any of the three diet pairs consumed protein and carbohydrate at the levels predicted by the earlier choice experiments. Among insects on all of the diets, however, two groups of unparasitized and parasitized larvae consumed the expected levels of protein and carbohydrate. In each case, gluconeogenesis, as measured by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) analysis of pyruvate cycling and trehalose synthesis from [2-13C]pyruvate, was evident in unparasitized and parasitized insects, confirming the conclusions of the earlier experiments. Generally, all larvae that consumed less than approximately 250 mg of sucrose over the 3-day feeding period, were gluconeogenic, regardless of diet. Differential carbohydrate consumption, therefore, was an important factor in inducing gluconeogenesis in both unparasitized and parasitized insects. The selective 13C enrichment in trehalose displayed by non-gluconeogenic larvae on some diets demonstrated trehalose formation from [2]pyruvate. The absence of net carbohydrate synthesis in these insects was likely due to an elevation of glycolysis. There was no significant effect of diet consumption or parasitism on blood trehalose level. Parasitized larvae displayed higher levels of gluconeogenesis than did unparasitized insects, a finding consistent with the conclusion that blood sugar is rapidly sequestered by developing parasites. The parasite burden, the total number of parasites developing within host larvae, as well as the number of parasites emerging from host larvae to complete development, was significantly less at the lowest dietary nutrient level, but was otherwise similar at all dietary nutrient levels. Moreover, the number of parasites that emerged increased with increasing diet consumption as reflected by host final weight.     

Inhibition of osteoporosis in rats fed with sugar cane wax

Rats fed on a restricted, semi-purified diet containing a 50%-reduced level of carbohydrate and oil, but normal levels of protein, minerals and vitamins, exhibited osteoporosis. However, rats fed on this restricted diet, but containing sugar cane wax, did not exhibit this bone disease. Sugar cane wax, containing a long-chain carbohydrate with an OH radical, prevented the development of osteoporosis via a non-estrogenic mechanism.     

Discriminating between energetic content and dietary composition as an explanation for dietary restriction effects

A reduction in dietary calories has been shown to prolong life span in a wide variety of taxa, but there has been much debate about confounding factors such as nutritional composition of the diet, or reallocation of nutrients from reduced reproduction. To disentangle the contribution of these different mechanisms to extension of life span, we study the effect of caloric restriction on longevity and fecundity in two species of sugar-feeding parasitoid wasps. They have a simple diet that consists of carbohydrates only, and they do not resorb eggs, which rules out the proposed alternative explanations for beneficial effects of caloric restriction. Two caloric restriction treatments were applied: first, dietary dilution to investigate the effect of carbohydrate concentration in the diet; and second, intermittent feeding to examine the effect of feeding frequency on longevity and fecundity. Only the dietary dilution treatment showed an effect of caloric restriction with the highest longevity recorded at 80% sucrose (w/v). No effect of dietary regime was found on fecundity. We also measured the weight increase of the parasitoids after feeding to obtain an estimate of consumption. A constant quantity of the sugar solution was consumed in all dietary dilution treatments, hence caloric intake was proportional to sucrose concentrations. Although the present study does not disqualify the relevance of nutrient composition in other species, our data unequivocally demonstrate that caloric restriction alone is sufficient to extend life span and invalidate alternative explanations.     

Starvation resistance of gypsy moth,Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae): tradeoffs among growth,body size,and survival

Summary Survival and body composition of starving gypsy moth larvae initially reared on aspen foliage or artificial diet differeing in nitrogen (N) and carbohydrate concentration were examined under laboratory conditions. Diet nitrogen concentration strongly affected starvation resistance and body composition, but diet carbohydrate content had no effects on these. Within any single diet treatment, greater body mass afforded greater resistance to starvation. However, starving larvae reared on 1.5% N diet survived nearly three days longer than larvae reared on 3.5% N diet. Larvae reared on artificial diet survived longer than larvae reared on aspen. Differences in survival of larvae reared on artificial diet with low and high nitrogen concentrations could not be attributed to variation in respiration rates, but were associated with differences in body composition. Although percentage lipid in larvae was unaffected by diet nitrogen concentration, larvae reared on 1.5% N diet had a higher percentage carbohydrate and lower percentage protein in their bodies prior to starvation than larvae reared on 3.5% N diet. Hence, larger energy reserves of larvae reared on low nitrogen diet may have contributed to their greater starvation resistance. Whereas survival under food stress was lower for larvae reared on high N diets, growth rates and pupal weights were higher, suggesting a tradeoff between rapid growth and survival. Larger body size does not necessarily reflect larger energy reserves, and, in fact, larger body size accured via greater protein accumulation may be at the expense of energy reserves. Large, fast-growing larvae may be more fit when food is abundant, but this advantage may be severely diminished under food stress. The potential ecological and evolutionary implications of a growth/survival tradeoff are discussed.     

Interactions of dietary protein and carbohydrate determine blood sugar level and regulate nutrient selection in the insect Manduca sexta L

The non-homeostatic regulation of blood sugar concentration in the insect Manduca sexta L. was affected by nutritional status. Larvae maintained on diets lacking sucrose displayed low concentrations of trehalose, the blood sugar of insects, which varied from 5 to 15 mM with increasing dietary casein level between 12.5 and 75 g/l. These insects were glucogenic, as demonstrated by the selective 13C enrichment of trehalose synthesized from [3-13C]alanine, and de novo synthesis was the sole source of blood sugar. The distribution of 13C in glutamine established that following transamination of the 13C substituted substrate, [3-13C]pyruvate carboxylation rather than decarboxylation was the principal pathway of Pyr metabolism. The mean blood trehalose level was higher in insects maintained on diets with sucrose. At the lowest dietary casein level blood trehalose was approximately 50 mM, and declined to 20 mM at the highest casein level. Gluconeogenesis was detected in insects maintained on sucrose-free diets at the higher protein levels examined, but [3-13C]pyruvate decarboxylation and TCA cycle metabolism was the principal fate of [3-13C]alanine following transamination, and dietary carbohydrate was the principal source of glucose for trehalose synthesis. Feeding studies established a relationship between nutritional status, blood sugar level and dietary self-selection. Insects preconditioned by feeding on diets without sucrose had low blood sugar levels regardless of dietary casein level, and when subsequently given a choice between a sucrose diet or a casein diet, selected the former. Larvae preconditioned on a diet containing sucrose and the lowest level of casein had high blood sugar levels and subsequently selected the casein diet. Larvae maintained on the sucrose diet with the highest casein level had low blood sugar and self-selected the sucrose diet. When preconditioned on diets with sucrose and intermediate levels of casein, insects selected more equally between the sucrose and the casein diets. It is concluded that blood sugar level may be intimately involved in dietary self-selection by M. sexta larvae, and that in the absence of dietary carbohydrate, gluconeogenesis provides sufficient blood sugar to ensure that larvae choose a diet or diets that produce an optimal intake of dietary protein and carbohydrate.