Seasonal Lipid Content of Bagworm Larvae

It is common knowledge to many who have attempted to control bagworms Thyridopteryx sp., that early instars are fairly easy to control, while later larval stages are less susceptible to insecticides. Studies of other insects (Bennett and Thomas 1963, Munson and Gottlieb 1953, Munson et al. 1954, Reier et al. 1953) have shown that as the lipid content increases, the susceptibility to insecticides (especially chlorinated hydrocarbons) decreases. To determine whether the lipid content of the bagworm larva increased with age a series of lipid extractions was conducted