Influence of food quantity and quality on polymorphic dispersal behaviors in the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar

Abstract

Egg masses produced by female gypsy moths (Lymantria dispar) reared on red oak (Quercus rubra) or red maple (Acer rubrum) exhibit differences in the abundance and distribution of different-sized eggs. Partial starvation of larvae has no significant effect on mean egg size, although it does have a significant effect on mean number of eggs per mass.Larvae from eggs of different sizes exhibit differences in level of activity when responding to a light source. Larvae from large eggs move more rapidly towards a light stimulus than those from small eggs. A greater proportion of the larvae from smaller eggs failed to move towards a light source compared with those from large eggs. The role of food in the activity and dispersal of first-instar gypsy moths is discussed.