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First published online July 20, 2006
Journal of Experimental Biology 209, 3018-3024 (2006)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2006
doi: 10.1242/jeb.02335

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Diversification of gut morphology in caterpillars is associated with defensive behavior

Jacqualine Bonnie Grant

Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA

View larger version (89K): [in a new window]   Fig. 1. Defensive regurgitation of two caterpillars in response to simulated predation. (A) Saucrobotys futilalis, a primary-regurgitator, responds with a copious amount of regurgitant that it directs towards the simulated predator. The arrow marks a droplet of regurgitant. (B) Utetheisa ornatrix, a non-regurgitator, does not produce regurgitant when attacked.

View larger version (16K): [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Numbers of pinches required to elicit regurgitation in the caterpillars of 33 species of moths and butterflies. Those that deploy regurgitation as their primary defense (primary-regurgitators) are shown in white, as their secondary defense (secondary-regurgitators) in black, and those that do not use regurgitation as a defense (non-regurgitators) are in gray.

View larger version (12K): [in a new window]   Fig. 3. Crop, midgut and hindgut proportions of total gut length in regurgitating caterpillars (N=33). Prim., primary-regurgitators (N=9); Sec., secondary-regurgitators (N=10); Non., non-regurgitators (N=14). Box plots show medians, 25th and 75th percentiles as well as outlying data points. (A) Crop proportions vary significantly with regurgitation behavior. Broken line indicates global mean of square root (crop proportions). (B) Midgut proportions vary significantly with regurgitation behavior. Broken line indicates global mean of untransformed midgut proportions. (C) Hindgut proportions were similar regardless of regurgitation behavior. Broken line indicates global mean of square root (hindgut proportions).