Plant oviposition preferences in a generalist herbivore: Tests of host plant selection and the Hopkins’ host selection principle

Why and how herbivorous insects choose to feed on some plant species and not others can be influenced by many factors, including an insect’s physiological state, individual preferences, or the abundance of the host plants in the environment. Yet, it is not always clear why herbivorous insect species will choose to lay their eggs on some plants over others. The Hopkins’ host selection principle (hereafter HHSP) hypothesizes that female insects prefer to lay eggs on host plants upon which they fed as larvae, but there are studies that both support and refute the hypothesis. Here, we test HHSP in a dietary generalist moth, fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea, hereafter FW). Previously, local host plant abundance has been the only factor found to determine FW host plant use; whether FW exhibit individual host plant preferences is unknown. We tested for HHSP in FW by conducting preference tests with females of the two FW morphotypes (red-head and black-head), presenting females with the same four..., , # Plant oviposition preferences in a generalist herbivore: Tests of host plant selection and the Hopkins’ host selection principle

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.7m0cfxq77](10.5061/dryad.7m0cfxq77)

## Description of the data and file structure

Data collected while conducting oviposition preference tests for fall webworm (*Hyphantria cunea*) moths were given four host plant options.

### Files and variables

#### File: Ovipos_Data_Analysis2025.xlsx

**Description:** Data for successful preference tests where females made an oviposition choice

##### Variables

* mating_round: ID for preference test
* cup_type: whether plants were in an Aquapik in a cup (c) or without a cup (nc) or a tall cup (tc)
* dorm_shoe: whether preference test was in a dorm or shoebox
* female_number: name assigned to moth female
* morphotype: red or black fall webworm morphotype
* female_host: female's natal host
* species_choice: plant species choice if female laid on a plant, or NA if no plant chosen
* choice_ty...,