Behavior and Ethology Commons^™

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 …