Behavior as a window on physiology: a simple apparatus for recording caterpillar feeding.
Regulation of feeding is a fundamental element of homeostasis. This is reflected in the similarity of control mechanisms in a wide range of animals, including insects and humans. A close examination of feeding behavior can illuminate the physiological processes driving regulation. A simple, inexpensive method for recording fine details of feeding by caterpillars is described. Possible experiments, interpretation of the data, and the relationship of observations to the underlying physiology, are outlined.
Bowdan
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Department of Zoology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 01003.
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D007814:Larva / Q000502:physiology; D008722:Methods; D009036:Moths / Q000502:physiology*; D010827:Physiology / Q000295:instrumentation