Besoins qualitatifs en acides aminés chez la punaise de l'asclépiade, Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas) (Hemiptera, Lygaeidae)

Qualitative amino acid requirements of Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas) larvae reared on holidic diets were studied. All experiments began at the third instar. Amino acids are required in the diet for the growth and survival of the large milkweed bug larvae. By omitting each amino acid individually from the basic holidic diet, we showed that the 10 amino acids generally essential for the insects are also all required for growth of O. fasciatus. In contrast with the observations recorded for most insects, none of the amino acids tested was individually required for the survival of the larvae of this hemipteron. Simultaneous omission of aspartic acid, glutamic acid, asparagine, and glutamine from the diet did not result in a reduction of growth of the milkweed bug. D-Alanine in the holidic diet was neither beneficial nor toxic to the insect.