FEEDING RESPONSE OF EARLY-INSTAR AND LATE-INSTAR SPRUCE BUDWORM (LEPIDOPTERA, TORTRICIDAE) TO AMINO-ACID EXTRACTS FROM WHITE SPRUCE

Feeding preferences and rates of early- and late-instar spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens), exposed to amino acid fractions from currently defoliated and undamaged white spruce foliage were measured to determine whether changes in feeding behavior occurred during the course of insect larval development. No significant difference was observed between the feeding preferences of early and late instars. However, the relative amounts of disks eaten by third instars were significantly higher compared with sixth instars.