Gut Size Changes in Relation to Variable food Quality and Body Size in Grasshoppers

Despite their short life span, insect herbivores such as grasshoppers can manipulate their gut in response to changes in food quality and body size, as previously documented in mammals and birds. Diet dilution greatly influenced the survival, development, weight gain and the proportional allocation to gut dry weight relative to body dry weight (G/B) of Melanoplus differentialis (Orthoptera: Acrididae). When diet quality increased from 1% N (total nitrogen) to 5% N, M. differentialis survived better, developed faster and gained more weight. However, increased gut size contributed to the ability to compensate for reduced food quality so that M. differentialis was able to survive equally well and develop equally fast on 3% N diets compared with individuals fed on 5% N diets