Navigation Links
Caterpillar gets more from its food when predator is on the prowl
Date:7/12/2012

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Animals that choose to eat in the presence of a predator run the risk of being eaten themselves, so they often go into a defensive mode and pay a physical penalty for the lack of nutrients.

But that's not so for the crop pest hornworm caterpillar, a study shows.

While other animals increase metabolism and stop growing or developing during a defensive period, hornworm caterpillars slow or stop eating but actually keep up their weight and develop a little faster in the short term. Ian Kaplan, a Purdue University assistant professor of entomology; Jennifer S. Thaler, an associate professor of entomology at Cornell University; and Scott H. McArt, a graduate student at Cornell, noticed that hornworm caterpillars ate 30 percent to 40 percent less when threatened by stink bugs but weighed the same as their non-threatened counterparts.

"It was a little puzzling. If you're going to shut down, there should be a cost associated with that," said Kaplan, who studied the caterpillars as a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell. "We usually think that you can either grow really fast and not defend yourself, or defend yourself but pay a physical penalty. That wasn't happening here."

Threatened hornworm caterpillars adapt to increase the efficiency by which they convert food into energy. They also increase the amount of nitrogen they extract from their food and their bodies' lipid content. In the first three days of the study, the caterpillars weighed the same and reached the next developmental stage faster than caterpillars eating in safety.

Over the long term, however, their body compositions change and their ability to turn food into energy is reduced in later developmental stages. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, reveal that hornworm caterpillars are the first insect species shown to delay the physical penalties associated with protecting themselves fro
'/>"/>

Contact: Brian Wallheimer
bwallhei@purdue.edu
765-496-2050
Purdue University
Source:Eurekalert  

Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. Copper making salmon prone to predators
2. Top predators key to extinctions as planet warms
3. Predators have outsized influence over habitats
4. T cells hunt parasites like animal predators seek prey, a Penn Vet-Penn Physics study reveals
5. Increasing predator-friendly land can help farmers reduce costs
6. Loss of predators in Northern Hemisphere affecting ecosystem health
7. Dinosaur fossil: Even specialized predators didnt turn down free meals
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
Related Image:
Caterpillar gets more from its food when predator is on the prowl
(Date:5/21/2013)... "place" is increasingly being considered in the management ... new resource that can help them recognize and ... places in their lives. , Place-Based Conservation: ... co-edited by the Pacific Northwest Research Station,s Linda ... to conservation. The book is published by Springer ...
(Date:5/21/2013)... become most deadly when they metastasize and spread tumors ... it becomes very difficult for doctors to locate and ... at the University of Missouri have found a way ... wherever they may be in the body. Michael Lewis, ... of Veterinary Medicine, says being able to target secondary ...
(Date:5/21/2013)... largest scientific society, invites news media coverage of ... 2013, in Indianapolis, Ind. It will take place ... hotels. , With more than 7,100 presentations on ... astronomy to zoology ― the meeting will offer ... of spot news and feature possibilities. The topics ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):MU researchers develop radioactive nanoparticles that target cancer cells 2
... with genetic risk of bowel cancer has found that ... of insurance implications. "This indicates that people have ... decision to have potentially life saving genetic testing," says ... Melbourne,s Key Centre for Women,s Health in Society. ...
... mayapple may soon offer an alternative to an Asian ... its anti-cancer properties. The near-extinct Asian plant, Podophyllyum ... etoposide, the active ingredient in a drug used for ... is a cousin of the common mayapple weed found ...
... This is the conclusion of a study which has analyzed the ... 14 years. The decrease in this activity and the fall in ... 10%) are the reasons why the "war", in the sense of ... Researchers from the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA-CSIC) ...
Cached Biology News:Fear of insurance rejection deters potentially life saving genetic tests for bowel cancer 2Anticancer compound found in American mayapple 2The war against wildlife comes to an end in Southern Europe 2
(Date:5/22/2013)... Genedata, a leading provider of ... and life science research, today announced AB Enzymes ... its bioinformatics platform for strain genome data management ... AB Enzymes, one of the world’s oldest and ... Genedata Selector accompanied by bioinformatics consulting services. Genedata ...
(Date:5/22/2013)... May 22, 2013 Mold remediation could take ... that there is a way to cut down the process' ... its latest post the details of a method how ... , Mold could be prevented, My Cleaning Products said. But ... stated that a mold remediation must then be promptly implemented ...
(Date:5/22/2013)... 2013 Envera announced today that Michael ... Mr. McErlean has an extensive background in cell production ... his career. , Mike Matheny, President and ... have Mike join our team”. “Mike’s background is perfectly ... fermentation and downstream processing equipment”, added Matheny. “Mike’s ...
(Date:5/22/2013)... 22, 2013  Moderna Therapeutics, the pioneering company developing ... enable the in vivo production of therapeutic ... will join Moderna in early July as its ... a proven leader in the design and implementation of ... discovery to translation, clinical operations and commercial preparedness. John ...
Breaking Biology Technology:AB Enzymes Chooses Genedata Selector for Production Strain Development and Optimization 2AB Enzymes Chooses Genedata Selector for Production Strain Development and Optimization 3AB Enzymes Chooses Genedata Selector for Production Strain Development and Optimization 4How to Kill Mold While Saving Thousands of Dollars on Mold Remediation Projects Explained by My Cleaning Products 2Envera Appoints Michael McErlean Fermentation Manager 2Industry Leader John Reynders Joins Moderna Therapeutics as Chief Information Officer 2Industry Leader John Reynders Joins Moderna Therapeutics as Chief Information Officer 3
... of Complex Arrhythmias Achieved Approval Considered ... Jan. 15 Stereotaxis, Inc. (Nasdaq:,STXS) announced today ... U.S. Food,and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its ... ablation in the United States., "The long-awaited ...
... Detail Latest Cardiac Surgery Technology to be Held ... January 26th at 6:30 p.m. Eastern ... technology companies will host the first annual After Hours Event,on ... the yacht,"Princess Lady." The invitation-only event, immediately preceding the,largest meeting ...
... response to the,Federal Drug Administration,s announcement today that ... consumption, Smithfield Foods, Inc.,(NYSE: SFD ) reiterated ... produce meat products from cloned animals. The science ... leaders in our industry,we will continue to monitor ...
Cached Biology Technology:Stereotaxis Announces FDA Approval of Its Partnered Magnetic Irrigated Catheter 2Stereotaxis Announces FDA Approval of Its Partnered Magnetic Irrigated Catheter 3Five Medical Technology Companies Host Premier Event for Cardiothoracic Surgeons 2Five Medical Technology Companies Host Premier Event for Cardiothoracic Surgeons 3Five Medical Technology Companies Host Premier Event for Cardiothoracic Surgeons 4
RABBIT ANTI HUMAN CHYMOTRYPSIN...
MSE ANTI CAN. CD3:FITC/RAT ANTI CD4:RPE...
MOUSE ANTI POLY (ADP-RIBOSE) Immunogen: Purified poly (ADP-ribose) polymer, 10-50 unit chain length...
... et.al. (1997) • Contains short ... biochemistry & molecular biology, arranged ... Entries give details of biochemical ... which they are involved and ...
Biology Products: