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| COSTA,ALEXANDRE A.; VARANDA,ELENICE M.. |
| Building of leaf shelters is a widespread behavior among microlepidopteran larvae. Apparently, these shelters provide refuge to caterpillars against bad weather and reduce the risks of predation and parasitism. Recent studies about nutritional ecology of insects have suggested that such behavior would actually be an strategy evolutionarily selected to maximize the quality of the host plant consumed by them. Stenoma scitiorella Walker caterpillars tie together young Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. (Annonaceae) leaves to build a shelter in which they retreat, feeding exclusively on inner leaves. The accumulation of damage and excrement in leaf shelters with several caterpillars may lead to a decline in larval development and survivorship. For providing the... |
| Tipo: Info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
Palavras-chave: Cerrado; Herbivory; Caterpillar; Tannin; Xylopia aromatica. |
| Ano: 2002 |
URL: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-566X2002000400005 |
