Williams K S, Lincoln D E, Ehrlich P R
Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, 94305, Stanford, California, USA.
Oecologia. 1983 Feb;56(2-3):323-329. doi: 10.1007/BF00379707.
The interactions between the checkerspot butterfly, Euphydryas chalcedona, and two of its principal host plants, Diplacus aurantiacus and Scrophularia californica, were studied to test the hypothesis that feeding behavior in nature reflects food quality in terms of leaf nitrogen and defensive chemical contents. Larvae preferentially fed on Diplacus leaves containing the highest nitrogen: resin ratio in the field and laboratory. Larvae did not feed selectively among Scrophularia leaves, which show little variation in quality. Seasonal timing of feeding activity and larval development rates were closely related to the availability of any Scrophularia leaves and high-quality Diplacus leaves.
对红斑蛱蝶（Euphydryas chalcedona）与其两种主要寄主植物——橙色双瓣花（Diplacus aurantiacus）和加州玄参（Scrophularia californica）之间的相互作用进行了研究，以检验以下假设：自然界中的取食行为在叶片氮含量和防御性化学物质含量方面反映了食物质量。在野外和实验室中，幼虫优先取食含氮树脂比最高的橙色双瓣花叶片。幼虫不会在质量差异不大的加州玄参叶片中进行选择性取食。取食活动的季节性时间安排和幼虫发育速率与任何加州玄参叶片和高质量橙色双瓣花叶片的可获得性密切相关。
