Oviposition Behavior in Lepidoptera

Abstract

The expanding field of insect-plant relationships has long focused on the process by which phytophagous insects find and accept their host plants. Since Thorsteinson's classic review (151), significant advances have been made in explaining behavioral and sensory mechanisms by which insects recognize their hosts and reject unsuitable plants. Much of our new knowl­ edge comes from recent progress in isolating and identifying chemicals responsible for mediating many of the behavioral steps involved and from a better understanding of the dynamics of the plant-insect interactions (58). The sensory cues that elicit or inhibit oviposition clearly play an important role in the survival of most phytophagous insects. The oviposition step is particularly crucial in the Lepidoptera, because the hatching larvae are often relatively immobile and thus depend on the judicious choice of food plant by the adult female (15, 28, 103). Previous reviews dealing with oviposition behavior in the Lepidoptera include a comprehensive account of butterfly oviposition by Chew & Robbins (15) and a discussion of the evolution of oviposition behavior and host preference by Thompson & Pellmyr (149). Ramaswamy (97) analyzed the behavioral steps and sensory modalities in host finding by moths, and Feeny et al (28) reviewed the chemical aspects of butterfly oviposition. Singer (129) has addressed the consequences of oviposition choices of butterflies and later (130, 135) discussed the methods