why caterpillars eat their eggshells

[Liz Day]

 >...the eggshells are very rich in protein (dunno what sort) and are 
consumed in order that this valuable resource be not wasted.

Yeah, that's what I'd always thought, but perhaps it is not the whole 
story.  This would of course require that the larvae be able to digest the 
eggshell protein, whatever kind it is....

 >I don't like the hypothesis of feeding on conspecifics stimulated by 
kairomones in their
 >bodies from teh plants they feed on.  This would argue for coprophagy, 
too.....

Unless there were other, additional responses to chemicals that inhibited 
them from eating dead ones (certainly many good reasons for not eating dead 
ones come to mind).

Cheers,
Liz


-------------------------------------------------------------
Liz Day
Indianapolis, Indiana, central USA  (40 N, ~86 W)
USDA zone 5b.  Winters ~20F, summers ~85F.  Formerly temperate deciduous 
forest.
daylight at kiva.net
www.kiva.net/~daylight



 
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