Effects of salt (KCl) on sucrose response of the lateral styloconic sensilla on fourth- and sixth-instar spruce budworm larvae, Choristoneura fumiferana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

 

This was my first bonafide scientific research project!

The spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana, is the scourge of the forest. Each year these pests devour and destroy millions of dollars worth of spruce trees (aka Christmas trees). How do we stop them without spraying with chemicals that may inadvertently end up in the mouths of young kids looking for presents under the tree? Our first step is to understand the physiologial responses of the taste sensilla to different salt and sugar solutions. In this way it may be possible to spray crops with trace amounts of salts or sugars thus coaxing the budworm to a different crop

Publications

Shalinsky, M.H. (1996) Effects of salt (KCl) on sucrose response of the lateral styloconic sensilla on fourth- and sixth-instar spruce budworm larvae, Choristoneura fumiferana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae).