In an attempt to secure food insects damage large portion of plants by consuming either the entire plant or its parts.

1. INDIRECT EFFECT OF FEEDING BY INSECTS
Kuntamalla Sujatha Gudimalla Prashanthi,
Asst Professor, Sericulture faculty, Dept of Zoology,
Kakatiya University, Hanamkonda, LB College,
Warangal. Warangal.
Madichetty Sai Abhishek,
Engineer, Bangalore.

2. Most of the insects obtain their food from plants, insects inflect injury to
the plants either directly or indirectly in an attempt to secure food in the
process almost all portions of the plant are attacked and damaged by the
insects.
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M. ABHISHEK

3. Herbivores directly damages photosynthetic tissue, there by indirectly effect the
respiratory system in the leaf tissue by diverting resources or disrupting the transport
of nutrients and water. The feeding habits of the insect may fall under two main
groups (1) chewing insects and (2) sucking insects. These two types of insects can
cause direct or indirect effects. Damage due to the herbivores can disrupt the leaf
integrity, creative possibility of uncontrolled water loss from the cut edges, epidermal
cytoplasm and mesophyll cells. Insect locomotion across leaf surface causes localized
deduction in the photosynthesis and increase in production of reactive oxygen species
and under certain conditions, the plant can compensate for the adverse effects of the
herbivores.
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M. ABHISHEK

4. The changes in physiological features include compensatory photosynthesis,
increase in electron transport rates, effective quantum yield and
photosynthetic efficiencies. The increased photosynthesis can mitigate the
negative effects of herbivorous as the carbohydrates are removed resulting in
low plant biomass
• The increased feeding rate of scale insects can increase the carbon demand
of the infected plants, sometimes when insect feeds on natural fibers there is
a profound impact on the human and domestic animals, health and infecting
bites and stings by insects can cause annoyance and transmission of diseases.
• Herbivores can remove the valuable photosynthetic material that support
the growth and reproduction of plants.
• Herbivores can effect the plants carbon directly by removing photosynthetic
leaf tissue, affects gas exchange in the leaf by diverting the resources to the
defense or destroying nutrients and water transportation.
• Insect damage initiates complex and interacting processes that effect gas
exchange.
• Insect locomotion across the leaf surfaces causes localized photosynthesis
reduction and corresponding increase of the reactive oxygen species.
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M. ABHISHEK

5. When tomato horn worm consumes entire plant it causes reduction in
assimilative leaf surface there by hinders its growth. Alpha alpha weevil
consumes entire plant by skeletonising the plant. These beetles like
Colorado consumes leaf from the margins thereby reducing the
photosynthetic activity subsequently causing stunted plant growth
Tomato Hornworm Alphalpha weevil
Acknowledge from Internet & Textbooks
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M. ABHISHEK

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M. ABHISHEK