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Although plant-herbivore interactions are central issues in ecology, few studies have sought to understand the biomechanical principles associated with feeding among chewing insects. Prior to ingestion, herbivores must mechanically prepare plant material to ensure adequate digestion and utilization of energy and nutrients. How effective they are in achieving this depends on the functional morphology of the mandibles, the animal's digestive physiology and the fracture geometry of its diet.
By examining how mandibles function in the spiny leaf insect (Extatosoma tiaratum) in relation to the structural composition of several leaf types, my PhD project endeavors to develop a conceptual framework behind the economy of mandible functional morphology and the biomechanics of chewing in herbivorous insects. In so doing, it is hoped that ecologists and agriculturalists will be better equipped to anticipate potential outcomes of plant-herbivore interactions, and thus implement appropriate management plans.
