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Full-Text Articles in Behavior and Ethology
Does Group Feeding By Toxic Prey Confer A Defensive Benefit? Aristolochic Acid Content, Larvae Group Size And Survival Of Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus Philenor) Larvae., Lauren Wisner Wilmoth
Does Group Feeding By Toxic Prey Confer A Defensive Benefit? Aristolochic Acid Content, Larvae Group Size And Survival Of Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus Philenor) Larvae., Lauren Wisner Wilmoth
Masters Theses
Aggregative feeding is widespread in Lepidopteran larvae suggesting that this
behavior serves on adaptive function. Many studies of the potential benefits of
aggregative feeding in Lepidopteran larvae have been conducted. However, no studies
have directly examined the benefits of cryptic larvae being both chemically defended and
gregarious. Group feeding occurs disproportionately more in chemically defended
larvae than in larvae that have no chemical defense. Most of these larvae are cryptic
when they are most highly aggregated and most vulnerable to predation. In this study,
the benefits of group feeding in terms of decreased predation were explored in first instar
larvae …