Influence of diet switching on boll weevil pheromone production
| Problem: | Previous studies have indicated that boll-fed, diapausing weevils do not contain accessory gland classes associated with high levels of pheromone production. Similar studies have indicated that diet switching (squares to bolls; bolls to squares) elicits a general reversal of the developmental program (reproduction; diapause) that should be reflected in pheromone production levels. |
| Objective: | To examine the effects on pheromone production of reciprocal diet switches at ages old enough to detect the choice of developmental pathway, but not old enough to prevent alteration of this developmental path |
| Approach: | Weevils will be fed the respective diet treatments (squares; small bolls) for 6 d and then assigned diets will be reversed. Both groups of diet-switched weevils will be compared to respective control groups maintained on the originally assigned diet throughout. |
Dale W. Spurgeon