Support If newly hatched tobacco hornworms in nature first feed on plants from the nightshade family, they will not eat leaves from any other plants thereafter. ββββββββ βββββββ βββββββββ ββββ ββββ ββ βββββ βββββ ββ ββββββ ββ ββββ ββββ ββ ββββββ βββββ ββββ βββββββββββ ββββ βββββ βββββββββ ββ βββββββ ββββ βββββββββ ββββββββββ βββββββββββ ββββ ββββ β ββββββββββ βββββ ββββ ββ ββββ β βββββββββββ βββ βββββ βββββββββ ββββββ ββββββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββ βββββββββ ββ βββββ ββ βββββ ββββ ββ ββββββββββββ βββ βββββ ββββ βββββββββββ βββββββ βββββββ βββββββββ β ββββββ βββββ
Scientists hypothesize that when a hornwormβs first meal is from a nightshade, its taste receptors become habituated to indioside D, and afterward anything without indioside D doesnβt taste good. This is based on the fact that newly hatched hornworms that first feed on nightshades donβt eat leaves from non-nightshades afterward, whereas newly hatched hornworms that first feed on non-nightshades are open to eating non-nightshades afterward.
The author assumes that there isnβt another explanation for the observed diet patterns of hornworms. For example, what if thereβs some other chemical besides indioside D that might be the reason hornworms that eat nightshades prefer nightshades and donβt eat non-nightshades? Or what if the hornworms donβt necessarily care about the taste of nightshades, but become physically addicted to it, without regard to taste?
Analysis by KevinLin
Which one of the following, ββ βββββ ββββ βββ ββββ βββββββ βββ βββ βββββββββββ
Tobacco hornworms that βββββ βββ ββ ββββββββββ ββββββ ββββ ββ ββββββββββ βββ βββ βββ βββββββ ββ ββββββββββ βββββ ββββ βββ ββββββ
If taste receptors βββ βββββββ ββββ βββββββ βββββββββ ββββ βββββ βββ ββ ββββββββββ βββββββ βββββ βββββββββ ββββ ββββββββββββ ββββ ββ βββββ βββββββ
Tobacco hornworm eggs βββ ββββ ββββββββ ββββ ββ ββββββββββ βββββββ
Indioside D is βββ βββ ββββ ββββββββ ββββ ββββββ ββββ ββ ββββββββββ βββββββ
The taste receptors ββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββ ββββ βββββββββββββ βββββββββ ββ βββββββ βββββββββ βββββββββ ββββββββββ