AN ARTIFICIAL DIET AND SOME GROWTH FACTOR REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PALE WESTERN CUTWORM

Abstract

The pale western cutworm, Agrotis orthogonia Morr., was reared in the laboratory on an artificial, partly defined diet that contained no extracts or parts from green plants. This diet permitted the determination of some growth factor needs for the larvae. Deletion of niacinamide, choline chloride, calcium pantothenate, and pyridoxine from the diet stopped growth and development of larvae in the second or third instar. Deficiencies of riboflavin, folic acid, or thiamine allowed development of larvae to the fifth instar but no pupae were produced. Omission from the diet of inositol, biotin, or vitamine B12 had no apparent effect on the growth and development of this cutworm.The inhibitory effect of the diet lacking thiamine on growth of newly hatched larvae was not caused by a decreased consumption of the deficient diet.