Effects of diet-deprivation and physical stimulation on the feeding behaviour of the larvae of the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Continuous observations of larvae of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, revealed that feeding occurred at regular intervals throughout larval development. To investigate possible factors influencing meal-timing, the behaviours of diet-deprived Bombyx larvae were also analysed. Diet-deprivation resulted in longer durations of the first meals after diet replacement, but did not affect feeding patterns. Furthermore, long-term diet-deprivation promoted wandering behaviour and a consequent delay in feeding after diet replacement. Under diet-deprivation conditions, meal-starts appeared to be inducible by defecation and physical stimulation. However, stimulation-induced meal-starts were dependent on the time elapsed since the larvae's previous meals. Provided that more than 1 h had elapsed since their previous meals, larvae could be induced to feed by defecation and tapping. At less than 1 h post-meal, larvae were less likely to begin feeding after defecation or physical stimulation. Activated locomotions such as wandering and feeding were observed in the long-term diet-deprived larvae only after diet blocks were replaced, while long-term diet-deprived larvae did not show activated locomotion during the absence of diet blocks. Collectively, these data suggest that a combination of elevated locomotion activity and the presence of diet may be necessary for the initiation of feeding in diet-deprived larvae.