01824nas a2200229 4500008004100000245009200041210006900133300001100202490000800213520112800221653001401349653001701363653002401380653001601404653002601420653002401446653001501470653001201485100001601497700001901513856006201532 2013 eng d00aDietary selection and nutritional regulation in a common mixed-feeding insect herbivore0 aDietary selection and nutritional regulation in a common mixedfe a20 -260 v1483 a
The geometric framework provides a way for understanding the multi-dimensional nutritional relationships between consumers and their food. We use this approach to further our understanding of the feeding and nutritional ecology of a ubiquitous mixed-feeding insect herbivore that consumes a variety of host plants spanning a wide range of nutritional composition. Our overall objective was to examine feeding decisions, resulting performance, and post-ingestive consequences in a common mixed-feeding insect herbivore, Melanoplus bivittatus (Say) (Orthoptera: Acrididae), when presented with paired diets differing in protein:carbohydrate (p:c) ratio. Intake p:c of M. bivittatus differed among all but two treatments and in many cases was farther than expected from the previously identified p:c intake target for this species. Despite this variability in intake of protein and carbohydrate, we found few effects of the diet treatments on performance or post-ingestive processing. However, our results suggest that when feeding on high-quality diets, nutrients consumed in excess may be stored rather than excreted.
10aacrididae10acarbohydrate10ageometric framework10ahomeostasis10aMelanoplus bivittatus10anutritional ecology10aOrthoptera10aprotein1 aJonas, J.L.1 aJoern, Anthony uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/eea.12065