Bongers Jürgen
Institut für angewandte Zoologie der Universität Bonn, Bonn, Deutschland.
Oecologia. 1969 Sep;3(3-4):374-389. doi: 10.1007/BF00390383.
The feeding behaviour of Oncopeltus fasciatus has been investigated. Exploration of food materials is performed by means of watery saliva which is secreted onto surfaces of substrates and sucked back again. Histological tests indicate that the animal preferably pierces the conducting system of the Vicia faba plant. Oncopeltus fasciatus secretes sheath material which coagulates and forms a lining to the path of the stylets during plant feeding. Feeding on seeds (Asclepias syriaca and Helianthus annuus) is not accompanied by stylet sheath formation. The function of this stylet sheath is discussed. Under extreme conditions the phytophagous animal shows cannibalism in spite of its marked subsocial behaviour. Penetration of the cuticle seems to be effected mainly by mechanical forces. No chitin-splitting enzyme could be detected in the saliva. The feeding activity over a photoperiod of 12 hrs on plants (uptake of water) and seeds (uptake of nutritive materials) is determined. It is suggested that on a green plant the animal is saturated more rapidly than on dehydrated seeds. The considerable amounts of watery saliva emulsify and suspend the contents of the seeds. Into seeds of Asclepias syriaca saliva is injected at a rate of approximately 1.14 mg/animal/hr.
对红斑草蝽的取食行为进行了研究。它通过分泌到基质表面然后再吸回的水样唾液来探索食物材料。组织学测试表明，这种动物更喜欢刺穿蚕豆植物的传导系统。红斑草蝽在取食植物时会分泌鞘物质，这些物质会凝固并在口针路径上形成一层衬里。取食种子（马利筋和向日葵）时则不会形成口针鞘。讨论了这种口针鞘的功能。在极端条件下，尽管这种植食性动物具有明显的亚群居行为，但仍会出现同类相食的现象。表皮的穿透似乎主要是由机械力完成的。在唾液中未检测到几丁质分解酶。测定了在12小时光周期内该动物在植物（吸收水分）和种子（吸收营养物质）上的取食活动。研究表明，在绿色植物上，该动物比在脱水种子上更快达到饱腹状态。大量的水样唾液会乳化并悬浮种子的内容物。以大约1.14毫克/动物/小时的速率将唾液注入马利筋种子中。
