Abstract
Spear-marked black moth, Rheumaptera hastata (L.), females tended to oviposit more readily on paper birch, Betula papyrifera Marsh., than other deciduous plants indigenous to interior Alaska. Larval feeding intensity was about 40% higher on birch foliage than on other host plants. Larvae reared on various host plant species differed in survival, development rate, and body weight. Food quality of host plants on which females were reared as larvae affected oviposition, fecundity, and egg viability. Larval development rate and survival decreased when fed foliage from birch trees that were repeatedly defoliated for 2 and 3 years.

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