Age patterns in leaves used by larvae of the satyrine butterfly Lethe diana

DOI Web Site 14 References
  • IDE Jun-Ya
    Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University:(Present office)Department of Environmental Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kumamoto University

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • クロヒカゲ幼虫の食草利用パターン : 葉の新しさについて

Search this article

Description

Larvae of the satyrine butterfly Lethe dina feed on blades of bamboo grass Sasa veitchii var. hirsuta whose blades have a two-to-four-year life span. I studied age class preference by L. diana. Both current-year blades and blades from previous years were used as oviposition sites by adult L. diana and as food by larvae. The ratio of young to old blades used changed seasonally, and these ratios were consistent with the ratio of young to old blades in available bamboo grass bushes during each season, i.e. neither adults nor larvae showed a preference for any age class of blades. Larvae grew better when they were fed young blades compared to old blades, so the fitness of L. diana would increase if young blades were selected. It is thought that L. diana is not particular about leaf age because it cannot discriminate between young blades and old blades.

Journal

  • Lepidoptera Science

    Lepidoptera Science 54 (1), 40-46, 2003

    THE LEPIDOPTEROLOGICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN

References(14)*help

See more

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

Report a problem

Back to top