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Diet choice: The two-factor host acceptance system of silkworm larvae
Kana Tsuneto1, Haruka Endo1,2, Fumika Shii1
1Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan.
Plos Biology
|September 16, 2020
Summary
Silkworm larvae use a two-step taste system to identify mulberry leaves. First, maxillary palps detect specific chemicals, then a test bite assesses sugar content for feeding acceptance.
Area of Science:
- Entomology
- Neuroethology
- Chemical Ecology
Background:
- Herbivorous insects often specialize on a few host plants, relying on taste cues for identification and quality assessment.
- Plant secondary metabolites and sugars are primary chemical signals, but the underlying neuronal and behavioral mechanisms of host-plant recognition remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the two-factor host acceptance system in silkworm Bombyx mori larvae.
- To identify the specific chemosensory organs and chemical cues involved in host-plant recognition and feeding initiation.
Main Methods:
- Investigated host-plant recognition in Bombyx mori larvae using chemosensory analysis.
- Examined the roles of the maxillary palp (MP) and maxillary galea (MG) in detecting leaf surface compounds and sap.
Main Results:
- A two-factor system was identified: MP detects trace leaf compounds (chlorogenic acid, quercetin glycosides, β-sitosterol) for initial recognition.
- Subsequent test biting by the maxillary galea (MG) detects sucrose in leaf sap, triggering feeding.
Conclusions:
- The silkworm's two-factor system enables highly sensitive, non-destructive host-plant recognition.
- This mechanism likely informs feeding habits and stereotyped behaviors in many phytophagous insects.
