Feeding in the Tobacco Hornworm: examining the Behavioral and Physiological Effects of Aristolochic Acid and Caffeine
Year: 2005
Type: article
Abstract: In this study, the effects of two plant alkaloids on the feeding behavior and the taste receptor neurons of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, were measured. Caffeine and aristolochic acid deterred the caterpillars from feeding and excited the same receptor neuron in one of its oral chemoreceptive organs, the lateral styloconica. Both deterrence and chemoreceptor response increased with the concentration of each chemical. Mixtures of the two chemicals had additive effects on both feeding behavior and chemosensory response. By correlating the feeding behavior of the tobacco hornworm with its chemosensory responses, a better understanding of the neural mechanisms responsible for selective insect feeding can be gained.
DOI: 10.13016/m2lrxg-es2j
Author: Hall, Ian C.
Language: English
Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7168975683