The relationship of body size to breadth of diet in some Lepidoptera

Abstract. 1. We have explored the question of whether breadth of diet in moths is associated with adaptations other than host selection behaviour, with particular reference to body size.
2. Generalist species in Britain and New York are larger than specialist species.
3. This relationship is probably not due to latitudinal clines, nor to higher fecundity in generalist species.
4. We suggest that the large bodies of generalists buffer them against environmentally-induced physiological stress.