Elm Spanworm Eye Size Depends upon Sex and Diet

Abstract

The eyes of the adult male Ennomos subsignarius (Hubner) are larger in length, width, and depth than those of the female. When larvae were reared on pignut hickory, Carya glabra (Mill.) Sweet, the eyes of those adults were larger than those of spanworms reared on a diet of northern red oak, Quercus rubra L. Foliage condition also generally affected eye size. Greater measurements accrued to those fed juvenile (tender) foliage throughout their larval life than to those fed normal foliage.