The nutritional ecology of maturation in a carnivorous insect

Ekhlas Al Shareefi and Sheena C Cotter

Behavioral Ecology, 2019, vol. 30, issue 1, 256-266

Abstract: Protein or fat? A carnivore’s priorities change with age. Immature beetles target protein while mature beetles watch their weight. We tested how the feeding behavior of beetles changes as they become reproductively mature by restricting them to diets that did not provide their preferred ratio of proteins to fats. Mature beetles consumed the same calories across diets but young beetles tried to maintain protein intake, even on low-protein diets, resulting in obesity.

Keywords: carnivore; feeding; geometric framework; insect; intake target; maturation; nutrient regulation; nutritional ecology; predator; rules of compromise (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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