pradetor larvas

[Chris Conlan]

There are many species of Lepidoptera that will cannibalize their own 
brothers as well as larva of other species.  I see this all the time in our
lab where we have Helicoverpa zea and Heliothis virescens.  It is common to
see them escape from their containers and break into other containers
housing other species and eat them.  They will eat just about anything they
can get their greedy little jaws around!  I have also seen Spodoptera and
Agrotis cannibalize the cadavers of their dead brothers and once in awhile
they will go after a freshly molted larva or pupa as well.

Chris

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From: ilan ben yosef <bugzoo at netvision.net.il>
To: leps-l at lists.yale.edu
Subject: pradetor larvas
Date: Thu, Jul 26, 2001, 10:03 AM


I rase african monarch in free flight cage. I had an invasion of
Spodoptera littoralis (Noctuidae), consider to be 1 of the most hard
pest in Israel. when the monarch larvas pupated, still soft, the S.
littoralis larvas of all stages eat them. they became carnivours. is any
one know of similar observations?



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