Abstract

1. Group living in gregarious caterpillars may shorten the larval stage, which is thought to reduce predation exposure. In the gregarious caterpillar Battus polydamas archidamas (Papilionidae) we addressed the effects of simulated predation threat on the duration of the larval stage in solitary and gregarious caterpillars. We further evaluated the consequences of group rearing and predation stimuli for pupal mass.