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The Salad Bar

Are Pieris larvae picky eaters? Find out by providing them with their very own salad bar.

Materials Needed

  • Three plastic plates
  • Six leaves for feeding trials*
  • Three Pieris larvae from Brassica Barn

*Select from members of the Brassica family (cabbage, Broccoli, turnips, pak choi, kale, mustard greens, etc.) and non-Brassicas (lettuce, beet leaves, celery leaves, carrot leaves, spinach, etc.).

Instructions

  1. Make three dime-sized portions from each leaf. You can also use a hole punch to make more precise portions.
  2. Place one portion from each leaf in a circular pattern near the outside of one plate. Repeat this for the two remaining plates.
  3. Gently remove 3 Pieris larvae from a Brassica Barn and place one in the center of each dish. You can use more larvae if you wish.
  4. Observe and describe what happens. Record results at 2 hours, 4 hours, and 24 hours.

Activity Questions:

  1. How did the larva(e) behave when introduced into the container?
  2. Which plants did the larvae eat?
  3. Compare how much was eaten from each leaf.
  4. What can you conclude about the feeding preferences of Pieris larvae?

SHARE YOUR RESULTS: The Salad Bar

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