The regulation of growth by locusts through post‐ingestive compensation for variation in the levels of dietary protein and carbohydrate

Abstract

Summary Post‐ingestive responses to four different diets containing protein and digestible carbohydrate in balanced (7% protein, 7% digestible carbohydrate or 21% protein, 21% digestible carbohydrate) or unbalanced proportions (7% protein, 21% digestible carbohydrate or 21% protein, 7% digestible carbohydrate) were assessed in fifth stadium Locusta migratoria. Amounts eaten, defaecated and grown were measured across the fifth stadium. Results showed that locusts differentially utilized ingested protein and carbohydrate and consequently achieved similar growth on all four diets despite having ingested very different amounts of protein and carbohydrate. Nutrients in excess of requirements were voided from the animal mainly after digestion and absorption from the gut. In the case of excess nitrogen, a major route for removal was through increased uric acid excretion, while for carbohydrate the major removal mechanism was apparently via respiration.