Larval food plants of Lepidoptera


s of Lepidoptera species are mostly herbivores, often oligophagous, i.e. feeding on a narrow variety of plant species. Lepidopteran larvae can often be raised on a variety food plants and commercial mixtures. Closely related Lepidoptera tend to have similar food plant preferences. Many caterpillars sequester the toxins from their food plants and use them as a defense against predators. Though it is common for Lepidoptera to prefer a certain plant genus or family, some species feed on a narrow selection of unrelated taxa. The choice is unrelated to nectar plant preferences of adult Lepidoptera, which are much less strict.

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