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Science 3 February 1989:
Vol. 243. no. 4891, pp. 643 - 646
DOI: 10.1126/science.243.4891.643
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Articles

A Diet-Induced Developmental Polymorphism in a Caterpillar

ERICK GREENE 1

1 Department of Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.

Caterpillars of the spring brood of Nemoria arizonaria develop into mimics of the oak catkins upon which they feed. Caterpillars from the summer brood emerge after the catkins have fallen and they develop instead into mimics of oak twigs. This developmental polymorphism may be triggered by the concentration of defensive secondary compounds in the larval diet: all caterpillars raised on catkins, which are low in tannin, developed into catkin morphs; those raised on leaves, which are high in tannin, developed into twig morphs; most raised on artificial diets of catkins with elevated tannin concentrations developed into twig morphs.

Submitted on September 22, 1988
Accepted on December 27, 1988


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