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Students perform an experiment to determine the feeding preferences of yellow admiral caterpillars.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Explain why biocontrol agents are tested before release.
  • Describe how biocontrol agents are tested before release.

Suggested prior lessons

  • What is a weed?
  • Cultivating weeds

Curriculum Connections

Science Levels 5 & 6

Vocabulary/concepts

Choice test, no choice test, repeated trials, control, economic threshold

Time

30-45 minutes pre-experiment discussion and set-up 30-45 minutes data collection and discussion

Materials

  • copies of “What plant should I test?”
  • leaves of nettle and other plants (see preparation instructions)
  • moist paper towels
  • small insect rearing containers (1 per caterpillar collected)
  • flexible forceps or artists paintbrushes for picking up caterpillars gently
  • copies of data sheets

Resources