SOLVENT DEACTIVATION OF MIMOSA WEBWORM LARVAL WEBBING (LEPIDOPTERA, PLUTELLIDAE)

Untreated larval webbing of the mimosa webworm, Homadaula anisocentra stimulated oviposition. Six-week-old webbing was as active as two-day- old webbing. Stimulatory activity of webbing was lost after rinsing wi th highly polar solvents, but not after rinsing with nonpolar solvents . Addition of the polar solvent rinses did not induce activity in othe r substrates nor restore activity to rinsed webbing. No differences in structure were found in a scanning electron microscope examination of unrinsed webbing and webbing rinsed with solvents of varying polarity .