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What Makes a Caterpillar Eat? The Sensory Code Underlying Feeding Behavior

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Perspectives in Chemoreception and Behavior

Part of the book series: Proceedings in Life Sciences ((LIFE SCIENCES))

Abstract

Applied entomologists (Forsyth 1803) and curious naturalists (Dethier 1937) have long been puzzled by the finickiness that caterpillars show with regard to their food preferences. Food specialists deprived of their natural food would rather succumb than accept unfamiliar plants. More general feeders are aware of differences between the various plant species that are acceptable to them (Merz 1959; Dethier and Kuch 1971; Hanson 1976). Although the striking feeding habits of phytophages held the fascination of entomologists for decades, analysis of this behavior had to wait till more became known of the chemical composition of plants and the differences between species. When electrophysiological techniques became available, the way was opened to monitor sensory input to the insect’s brain, which guides feeding behavior. It is now possible to determine the way in which the sequence of decisions, representing feeding behavior (Dawkins and Dawkins 1973), is governed by external stimuli. Caterpillars seem to be ideal insects for such analysis, since (1) they show a great variety of (species-specific) feeding preferences and (2) they have a remarkably limited number of chemoreceptor cells to translate a plant’s chemical make-up into a neural message on which the brain can take a decision. This chapter will concentrate on the attempts to decipher the sensory code used by caterpillars to guide their feeding behavior.

I can’t explain myself, I’m afraid, sir, “said Alice, “because I’m not myself, you see.” “I don’t see,” said the Caterpillar.

Lewis Carroll

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Louis M. Schoonhoven

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  1. Louis M. Schoonhoven
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biological Control and Department of Entomological Sciences, University of California, 94706, Berkeley, California, USA

    R. F. Chapman

  2. Division of Biological Control and Department of Entomological Sciences, University of California, 94706, Berkeley, California, USA

    E. A. Bernays

  3. Department of Entomology, University of Massachusetts, 01003, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    J. G. Stoffolano Jr.

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Schoonhoven, L.M. (1987). What Makes a Caterpillar Eat? The Sensory Code Underlying Feeding Behavior. In: Chapman, R.F., Bernays, E.A., Stoffolano, J.G. (eds) Perspectives in Chemoreception and Behavior. Proceedings in Life Sciences. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4644-2_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4644-2_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-9096-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-4644-2

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