Food Requirements of Adult Cotton Leafperforators1 in the Absence of Cotton: Effects of Natural Sugars on Longevity and Reproduction2

Abstract

Artifical food (aqueous sucrose solution) greatly extended the life of Bucculatrix thurberiella Busck and increased reproductive capacity in the laboratory compared to unfed moths. Of 10 sugars tested, only sucrose, glucose, and fructose were acceptable as foods. The effectiveness of these sugars increased with concentration of the solutions. The monosaccharides, particularly glucose, were slightly but consistently better than sucrose as measured by longevity, fecundity, and egg fertility.