What are the biochemical, morphological, etc. characteristics of the eggs that makes it preferable? How could I quantify them?
Set up a no-choice test of the egg and at least two individual predators. Enclose the experimental platform in such away to make sure the predators do not escape. As they start starving they will have no option but feed on the insect egg.
Hope this helps.
It is so important to set up choice and no-choice experiments. You can do that for example by providing he predator with eggs, larvae and pupae of the given pest, then keep the different stage of the pest with the predator for 1 day, then remove the predator and you can count the consumed eggs larvae and pupae to know if the predator has preference towards eggs, or larvae of pupae. In the no-choice experiment just keeps the predator with the eggs and here it is important to provide with different rate of predator: prey eggs to know if the predator will consume more eggs when the offered no. is high (predator-prey- density)
Kindly find my article below you will get benefit of it
Al-Zyoud, F. and C. Sengonca. 2004. Prey consumption preferences of Serangium parcesetosum Sicard (Col., Coccinellidae) for different prey stages, species and parasitized prey. Journal of Pest Science 77: 197-204.
Choice and no-choice method and go on studying entire biological attributes of predators and compare with the results obtained after feeding with natural hosts.
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