Abstract
Most fifth instar Argina cribraria female larvae reared in paired groups on fresh sunnhemp leaves practised cannibalism on the male. A potential cannibal pounced on the victim and severed its dorsal vessel, causing profuse bleeding of haemolymph, immobility and contraction. The cannibal fed on victim’s carcass and might consume 1–2 larvae and 1–3 pupae. More females emerged from an experiment having larval cannibalism. The cannibals were lighter, but the relative titres of sugars, proteins and phenols were higher in cannibals than those in control female caterpillars.
Résumé
La plupart de la cinquième instar Argina cribrarla femelle de larve ravageant en un groupe de paires sur les feuilles fraches de “Sunnhemp” pratiquèrent le cannibalisme sur le mâle. Un cannibale potentiel se jeta sur la victime et désunit ses vaisseaux dorsaux causant hémorragie abondante de haemolymphe, immobilité et contraction. Le cannibale se nourrissant de la carcasse de la victime pouvait consumer 1–2 de larve et 1.3 de chrysalide. Plus de femelles émergèrent d’une expérience ayant un cannibalisme de larve. Les cannibales étaient plus legers mais les titres relatifs du sucre, des protéines et du phénol étaient plus élevés en cannibales qu’á ceux de chénilles (en femelle) contrôlées.
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A modified version of the abstract was published in the proceedings of the IV International Congress of Ecology, 1986, pp. 84.
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Banerjee, T.C., Mahapatra, A.K. Cannibalism in Phytophagous Argina cribraria Larvae and its Possible Significance. Int J Trop Insect Sci 8, 211–215 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400007220
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400007220