S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 43/1. (Budapest, 1982)
When evaluating matter circulation surveys one of the main difficulties is that the larvae can be measured only once because of their mining habit. The larvae cannot be replaced into their natural environment (mine). So we have no unambiguous information of those influences, their extent and consequences, that affect the larvae until the time of measurements. Among others it is one of the main reasons for the relatively great variance in the results of measurements (Table 3). Table 3. Feeding rates of Antispila treitschkeella larvae until reaching the given weights (wet weight mg + SE) in the years of 1977 and 1979 Average weight 1977 1979 of the larvae Consumption Faeces Consumption Faeces 0.01 - - 0.69 + 0.67 0.05 + 0.03 0.10 - - 0.93 ± 0.21 0.14 ± 0.06 0.20 2.14 ± 1.72 1.35 + 1.30 2.16 + 2.06 0.19 ± 0.07 0.30 - 2.37 + 2.27 0.47 ± 0,48 0.40 3.21 + 2.04 1.28 + 0.14 0.50 2.60 + 1.88 1.05 + 0.44 2.86 + 2.56 1.15 ± 0.92 0.70 2.86 + 2.36 1.15 + 0.92 2.87 + 0,09 0.57 + 0.21 0.80 - - 3.36 + 0.15 1,02 + 0.44 1.10 4.89 + 2.36 2.20 + 0.90 1.20 - - 11.24 + 4.35 1.40 + 0.94 1.30 6.23 + 0.25 2.20 + 0.63 The size of variation can be in connection with the difference in the thickness of leaveB. Comparing these two years of investigations we can find that the consumption of the larvae, until reaching the same average weight was significantly greater in 1979 (maximum 10-10.5 mg) than in 1977 (maximum 6.2 mg). This deviation in the consumption values can probably be explained with the difference in the temperature averages in September (1977: 12.6°C; 1979: 16.4°C). From the consumption values for single average weights we can see that similarly to other larvae which live and feed on the surface of leaves (NAKANO and MONSI 1968: Bombyx mori ; WITKOWSKI and KOSIOR 1974: T ortrix viridan a; AXELSSON 1977: Operophtera brumata and O. fagata ) in the case of the larvae that we examined consumption increases abruptly for larvae with a great wet weight. We determined the ecological capacity of the larvae, expressed in dry weight, for the years of 1978 and 1980 (Fig. 2). The assimilatory capacity of the larvae (52.9-91.3%) shows a decreasing tendency when body weight increases. The nutrient utilization (assimilatory capacity) of the larvae compared to those values for Tortrix viridana (WITKOWSKI and KOSIOR 1975: 65-82%) seems to be rather high in the case of young larvae, but we should take into consideration the highly different ways of life of the two species. The production capacity and the excretion index of An tispila treitschkeella larvae are rather small. The value of respiration capacity (40.9290.2%) is strikingly high. A reason for this could be that inside of the mines a special microclimate is extant that changes in every part of the day. The most important feature is the change in CO2 or Oy concentrations that can cause a rather high respiration value. Considering all the above, the values (in percents) for consumption and gnawing in the times of biomass maxima in each year were as follows: 1977 67.5 kg wet weight ha" L 26.9 kg dry weight ha" 1 15.3% 1978 92,0 kg " 36.7 kg " 18.9% 1979 385,4 kg " 153.8 kg " 79.2% 1980 44.7 kg " 17.6 kg " 8.9%
