Abstract: The absorption and utilization of nitrogen and sugar in diet by the Asian corn borer (O, trinia furnacalis) larvae reared on artificial diets with different levels of nitrogen and sugar were s.tudied. The results showed that the absorption of nitrogen decreased hile that of sugar increased with larval development from the third to fifth instar. In the fifth instar larvae the absorption of sugar increased with the increase of nitrogen conte.nt in the diet.In the fifth instar larvae the consumption rates of nitrogen and sugar increased but the nitrogen utilization rate and the nitrogen content decreased when fed on the diet with higher sugar content. The nitrogen content in larvae decreased significantly from the third to fifth instar when theywere red on the diet with 3.01% nitrogen content, due to the decrease in nitrogen utilization rate. These results indicated that the nitrogen and sugar contents in diets influence their absorption and utilization by the larvae, and sugar is more important than nitrogen for older larvae.

Key words: Ostrinia furnacalis, nitrogen, sugar, absorption and utilization, artificial diet