SUGARS, AMINO-ACIDS, AND ASCORBIC-ACID AS PHAGOSTIMULANTS FOR LARVAE OF ANTITROGUS-PARVULUS AND LEPIDIOTA-NEGATORIA (COLEOPTERA, SCARABAEIDAE)

Cellulose acetate filter disks were used to evaluate 14 sugars, 18 amino acids, and ascorbic acid as feeding stimulants for third instars of the sugarcane-infesting scarabaeids Antitrogus parvulus Britton and Lepidiota negatoria Blackburn. The sugars D-fructose, D-mannose, D-sucrose, D-trehalose, D-melezitose, and D-raffinose stimulated feeding by L. negatoria; sucrose and raffinose stimulated feeding by A. parvulus. Fructose and sucrose were the most effective stimulants, at 1 M concentration for A. parvulus and at 2 M concentration for L. negatoria. The amino acids L-cysteine, L-glutamic acid, and L-histidine monohydrochloride stimulated feeding by L. negatoria; only L-tyrosine stimulated feeding by A. parvulus. L-ascorbic acid did not stimulate feeding by either species.