Energy, Matter and Nitrogen Utilization by the Larvae of the Monarch Butterfly Danaus plexippus
- 1 January 1976
- Vol. 27 (2) , 259-264
- https://doi.org/10.2307/3543904
Abstract
Dry matter, energy and N budgets of the form: ingestion (I) = growth (G) + respiration (R) + egestion (F) were evaluated for the larvae of D. plexippus (L.) fed Asclepias syriaca at 27.degree. C, 80-90% RH [relative humidity], 14 h light. Gross efficiencies of growth (100 G/I), 16% (dry weight), 21% (caloric equivalents) and 48% (N) are similar to the efficiencies of other lepidoptera while net efficiencies of growth (100 G/(I-F)), 35% (dry weight) and 44% (caloric equivalents), are lower. The average to low efficiencies of D. plexippus do not support the hypothesis that oligophagous lepidoptera are more efficient at utilizing their resources than polyphagous lepidoptera.This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit: