Do insects eat leaves as larvae or adults or both? Do they prefer young to old leaves? Provide examples.?

Question

Do insects eat leaves as larvae or adults or both? Do they prefer young to old leaves? Provide examples.?

Answer 1

Both.  From my own observation, a moth larvae that eats my oak tree leaves only occurs while the leaves are very young.  But the grasshoppers and moths that eat my tomato and other vegetable plants don't seem to discriminate as to the age of the leaves.  In general I would say that I find less leaf eating insects on my deciduous hardwoods after they have hardened with time.  Annual plants seem to be tasty all growing season.

Answer 2

Most the damage done by insects is by larval insects.  But both stages eat leafs (note spelling).  

http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0718-stri....

http://www.berkeleyhort.com/roses/r_leaf...