Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of ration levels on food utilisation in the grasshopper Poecilocerus pictus

  • Published:
Oecologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Reduced rations of Calotropis gigantea produced a number of negative effects on the grasshopper Poecilocerus pictus such as heavy mortality (42% at 25% ration as aginst 11% at 100% ration), extension of hopper period (from 75 days about 113 days) and increase in the number of instars (from 6–7). At the tested 100, 50 and 25% ration levels, female hoppers attained a final body (dry) weight of 693, 320 and 208 mg; the corresponding values for the males were 439, 365 and 224 mg. Males receiving 100, 50 and 25% rations consumed 4238, 2641 and 1425 mg (dry) food at the rate of 127, 84 and 77 mg dry weight/g live insect/day; females receiving similar rations consumed 5165, 3558 and 1589 mg of food at the rate of 115, 84 and 73 mg/g/day. Hoppers reveiving different rations assimilated about 50% of the ingested food. Assimilation efficiency varied from about 45–56% as functions of sex and ration levels and averaged to 50%; these variations were not statistically significant. Conversion efficiency (K 2) increased with decreasing ration levels from 29–37% in females and from 21–41% in males. Individuals receiving the lowest ration displayed reduced metabolic rate, which partly accounts for the increased rate and efficiency of conversion.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barnes, O. L.: Effect of food plants on lesser migratory grasshopper. J. econ. Ent. 48, 119–124 (1955)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bursell, E.: An introduction to insect physiology. New York: Academic Press 1970

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, K. V., Langley, P. A.: Studies on the initiation of growth and moulting in Locusta migratoria migratorioides R. & F. III. The role of the frontal ganglion. J. Insect. Physiol. 9, 363–373 (1962)

    Google Scholar 

  • Delvi, M. R.: Ecophysiological studies on the grasshopper Poecilocerus pictus. Ph. D. thesis, Bangalore University (1972)

  • Delvi, M. R., Pandian, T. J.: Ecophysiological studies on the utilisation of food in the paddy field grasshopper Oxya velox. Oecologia (Berl.) 8, 267–275 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Delvi, M. R., Pandian, T. J.: Rates of feeding and assimilation in the grasshopper Poecilocerus pictus. J. Insect Physiol. 18, 1829–1843 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerking, S. D.: Influence of rate of feeding and body weight on protein metabolism of bluegill sunfish. Physiol. Zool. 44, 9–19 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • House, H. L.: Effects of low levels of the nutrient content of a food and of nutrient imbalance on the feeding and the nutrition of a phytophagous larva Celerio euphoribiae (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). Canad. Ent. 97, 62–68 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kozhanchikov, I. V.: Fundamental features of food utilisation in the Asiatic locust. Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR (Biol.) 4, 73–86 (1950)

    Google Scholar 

  • Muthukrishman, J., Delvi, M. R.: Bioenergetics of a tropical grasshopper. Indian J. exp. Biol. 11, 441–544 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pandian, T. J.: Transformation of food in the fish Megalops cyprinoides. II. Influence of quantity of food. Mar. Biol. 1, 107–109 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pandian, T. J.: Mechanisms of heterotrophy. In: O. Kinne, Ed., Treatise on marine ecology, vol. 2, part I, pp. 61–249. London: Wiley 1974

    Google Scholar 

  • Pruthi, H. S., Nigam, L. N.: The bionomics life history and control of the grasshopper Poecilocerus pictus (Fab.) a new pest of cultivated crops in north India. Indian J. agric. Sci. 9, 629–641 (1939)

    Google Scholar 

  • Shotwell, R. L.: Life histories and habitats of some grasshoppers of economic importance on the great plains. Tech. Bull. U.S. Dept. Agric. 774 (1941)

  • Smith, D. S., Northcott, F. E.: The effects on the grasshopper, Melanoplus mexicanus mexicanus (Sauss) (Orthoptera: Acrididae), of varying the nitrogen content in its food plant. Canad. J. Zool. 29, 297–304 (1951)

    Google Scholar 

  • Soo Hoo, C. F., Fraenkal, G.: The consumption, digestion and utilisation of food plants by a polyphagous insect Prodenia eridania (Cramer). J. Insect Physiol. 12, 711–730 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyler, A. V.: Rates of gastric emptying in young cod. J. Fish. Res. Bd. Canada 27, 1177–1189 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Vonk, H. J.: Comparative biochemistry of digestive mechanisms. In: M. Florkin, H. S. Mason, Eds., Comparative biochemistry vol. 6, pp. 347–401. New York: Academic Press 1964

    Google Scholar 

  • Waldbauer, G. P.: The consumption and utilisation of food by insets. In: Advanc. Insect Physiol. 5, 229–288 (1968)

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. M. R. Delvi

    Present address: Department of Zoology, Arts and Science College, Visveswarapuran, Bangalore 4

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Madurai University, P. G. Centre, Arulmigu Palaniandavar Arts College, Palni, Tamilnadu, India

    J. Muthukrishnan & M. R. Delvi

Authors
  1. J. Muthukrishnan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. R. Delvi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Muthukrishnan, J., Delvi, M.R. Effect of ration levels on food utilisation in the grasshopper Poecilocerus pictus . Oecologia 16, 227–236 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00345885

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00345885

Keywords

Search

Navigation