Physiological Studies on the Digestion of Coccinellid Beetles (Coleoptera : Coccinellidae), with Special Reference to their Food Habits

概要

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Comparative studies on the physiological natures of the digestion between entomophagous and phytophagous coccinellid beetles were made, using adults of four entomophagous species of Coccinella septempunctata bruckii MULSANT, Harmonia axyridis PALLAS, Chilocorus kuwanae SILVESTRI and Rodolia cardinalis MULSANT, and two phytophagous ones of Epilachna vigintioctopunctata FABRICIUS and E. vigintioctomaculata MOTSCHULSKY.The ratio of total alimentary canal length to the body length in phytophagous coccinellids was about twice as large as that of entomophagous ones. The length of each part of alimentary canal was ranked in the same order in both phytophagous and entomophagous groups as follows : midgut>hindgut>foregut. The activity of digestive enzymes, protease, lipase and trehalase in entomophagous insects was much higher than that in phytophagous ones. Optimum pH for carbohydrase and protease ranged between 5〜6,which almost coincided with the pH of digestive juice in the alimentary canal. Experimental results suggested that the physiological differences in digestion between entomophagous and phytophagous forms are attributable to the gradient of natural selection at the development of diversity of food habits.
日本応用動物昆虫学会の論文
1968-09-25