Relation between feeding and egg production in some insects

Abstract

Food consumption and fecundity of insects vary with life style and feeding pattern. In general, species which feed during the larval and adult stages and maintain a smaller biomass, allocate a higher percentage of the ingested energy to egg production (e.g. Oryzaephilus surinamensis; 34.4%). Species which grow larger but feed at lower rates and pass through extended adult life span display very low egg production efficiency (e.g. Poecilocerus pictus: 0·7%). A few others feed at faster rates during the larval period, shorten the adult phase and allocate fairly a high percentage of the ingested energy to egg production (e.g.Bombyx mori; 5·8%). Food quality regulates food consumption and thereby significantly influences egg production in several polyphagous insects. Prey density influences food consumption and fecundity of predators. Regression of fecundity on blood meal ingested for two hemipterans and two dipterans revealed that the dipterans are autogenous and are relatively independent on adult blood meal for oviposition in comparison with the hemipterans.