Food Consumption by Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) Larvae Infected with Entomophaga maimaiga (Zygomycetes: Entomophthorales)

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Abstract
Food consumption by healthy fifth-instar gypsy moths, Lymantria dispar, and larvae infected with Entomophaga maimaiga was compared. Infected larvae ate less food than healthy larvae during the two days before death. Weight gain of infected larvae was less than weight gain of healthy larvae from 3 d after inoculation. Although death of infected larvae was hastened by starvation, E. maimaiga was able to develop successfully in larvae that received no food after infection, suggesting that larval feeding during the associated period of incubation is not necessary for fungal development.