Brian Foster

I am interested in the metabolic consequences for insects of interacting with their host plants. Using caterpillars of M. sexta, I'm making longitudinal maps of the metabolic activity in their mid- and hindguts. We think that wate-stressed larvae may have to devote a significant proportion of their entire metabolic rate just to regulating water balance, and we're examining this possibility across different larval instars. I also have a remarkable ability to fly, at least during free fall from high rocks.