Bioenergetics of the range caterpillar, Hemileuca oliviae (Ckll.)

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Abstract
The energy budget of the New Mexico range caterpillar, Hemileuca oliviae (Ckll.), was estimated on caterpillars reared on an artificial diet under constant conditions. There was a 54% average age-specific decrease in assimilation efficiency in the larval stages. Net production efficiency was relatively constant at 52%. Of the 26.77 cal/mg produced by the feeding larvae, 0.53 cal/mg were expended by the pupae and 0.59 cal/mg were expended by the adults. Since maintenance costs of the non-feeding stages accounted for only four percent of the larval production, that production was adequate for adult development and reproduction.