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

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Abstract
Egg masses produced by female gypsy moths (L. 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 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 1st-instar gypsy moths is discussed.
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