Fig. 1

Overview of the experimental design to study the gene expression differences in Spodoptera exigua larvae feeding on different host plants. a Feeding assay: larvae hatched and developed on three different host plants (Brassica oleracea, Nicotiana tabacum and Zea mays) and artificial diet as control. b larval weight and developmental time was recorded to quantify herbivore success (growth rate in mg/day). c RNAseq data was generated of each diet treatment, followed by de novo assembly and differential gene expression analyses