Trail Marking and Abandonment of Depleted Feeding Sites by the Caterpillars of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eutachyptera psidii</Emphasis> (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) |
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Authors: | Terrence D Fitzgerald Alfonso Pescador-Rubio |
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Institution: | 1.Department of Biological Science,State University of New York at Cortland,Cortland,USA;2.Universidad de Colima, Centro Universitario de Investigación y Desarrollo Agropecuario,Colima,Mexico |
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Abstract: | The caterpillars of Eutachytptera psidii (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) mark trails between their nest and distant feeding sites with a trail pheromone secreted from
the ventral surfaces of their last abdominal segments. The threshold sensitivity to artificial trails prepared from an hexane
extract of the pheromone was 0.75 × 10−3 caterpillar-equivalents per cm of trail. In tests of trail-specificity involving four other social species, the caterpillars
responded only to trails prepared from a pheromone extract of the closely related genus Gloveria. Tests were conducted to determine the efficiency with which colonies abandon exhausted feeding sites in favor of new food
finds. On their first forays after their food sources were experimentally moved from established feeding sites to new sites,
67.5 ± 3.6% of all the evening’s activity occurred on pathways leading to the previously established sites. During their next
two forays, 86.3 ± 3.7% and 92.1 ± 2.0% of all activity occurred on pathways leading to the new sites. Efficient abandonment
of exhausted feeding sites is attributed to the persistence of the trail pheromone, differential marking of new and old pathways
and to the caterpillar’s ability to discern trail strength and to choose stronger over weaker trails at choice points. |
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