Pseudoplusia includens (Walker) laid significantly more eggs, lived longer, and mated more frequently when adults were provided food than if they were given water and not fed. When supplied 10% honey solution ad lib. or nectar from 10 cotton blossoms/pair/day, adults deposited similar numbers of eggs and lived an equal period of time. Adults, when supplied food for a period of 2 days, were comparable in egg production, hatchability, frequency of mating, and longevity to those supplied food continuously. When confined in a given area, increasing the ratio of males to females did not increase the mating frequency, but resulted in decreased egg deposition and longevity of both sexes.
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Jensen et al. (1974) studied this question.
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