Anti-Predator Ploys of Heliothis Punctiger (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Caterpillars Against the Predator Oechalia Schellenbergii (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

Abstract

The escape responses of Heliothis punctiger Wallengren caterpillars to the attacks of juveniles and adults of Oechalia schellenbergii Guerin-Meneville were studied in the laboratory. Caterpillars avoided capture by head waving, dropping off the plant, ceasing movement, biting, rolling over, oral spitting and tail wagging. These responses occurred either individually or in unison. Smaller caterpillars tended to drop off the plant; larger ones defended themselves by aggressive retaliation, the value of which as a defence ploy increased with the size of the caterpillar relative to its predator. Larger caterpillars (fourth instars) were immune to predation by juveniles of O. schellenbergii and fifth instars to all stages of the predator.