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Göttlinger T, Lohaus G. Origin and Function of Amino Acids in Nectar and Nectaries of Pitcairnia Species with Particular Emphasis on Alanine and Glutamine. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:23. [PMID: 38202331 PMCID: PMC10780904 DOI: 10.3390/plants13010023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Floral nectar contains sugars and numerous other compounds, including amino acids, but little is known about their function and origin in nectar. Therefore, the amino acid, sugar, and inorganic ion concentrations, as well as the activity of alanine aminotransferase (AlaAT) and glutamine synthetase (GS) in nectar, nectaries, and leaves were analyzed in 30 Pitcairnia species. These data were compared with various floral traits, the pollinator type, and the phylogenetic relationships of the species to find possible causes for the high amino acid concentrations in the nectar of some species. The highest concentrations of amino acids (especially alanine) in nectar were found in species with reddish flowers. Furthermore, the concentration of amino acids in nectar and nectaries is determined through analyzing flower color/pollination type rather than phylogenetic relations. This study provides new insights into the origin of amino acids in nectar. The presence of almost all amino acids in nectar is mainly due to their transport in the phloem to the nectaries, with the exception of alanine, which is partially produced in nectaries. In addition, active regulatory mechanisms are required in nectaries that retain most of the amino acids and allow the selective secretion of specific amino acids, such as alanine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Göttlinger
- Molecular Plant Science and Plant Biochemistry, University of Wuppertal, 42119 Wuppertal, Germany;
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Almeida LZ, Hovick SM, Ludsin SA, Marschall EA. Which factors determine the long‐term effect of poor early‐life nutrition? A meta‐analytic review. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- L. Zoe Almeida
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio 43210 USA
- Aquatic Ecology Laboratory The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio 43212 USA
| | - Stephen M. Hovick
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio 43210 USA
| | - Stuart A. Ludsin
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio 43210 USA
- Aquatic Ecology Laboratory The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio 43212 USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Marschall
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio 43210 USA
- Aquatic Ecology Laboratory The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio 43212 USA
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Mátray S, Herz A. Do floral resources affect fitness of adult Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus 1758) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)? BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 111:1-7. [PMID: 34154684 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485321000468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The introduction of flowering plants into orchards can increase functional biodiversity in pome fruit cultivation. Plants provide nectar, pollen and prey resources supporting pollinators and natural enemies. However, pests may also benefit from floral diets and a careful selection of plants is necessary to reduce any risk of pest proliferation. The codling moth Cydia pomonella is a major pest in apple growing worldwide and adults are known to consume sugars. The impact of floral diets (parsnip, wild carrot, coriander, red clover) on longevity, fecundity and fertility of adult codling moth was examined under laboratory conditions. In general, male moths lived longer than females, regardless of dietary treatments. Moths survived longest when supplied with parsnip flowers as a floral diet. Contrary to carrot, coriander resulted in higher longevity of adult C. pomonella compared to moths provided with red clover as a negative control. Adult nutrition on floral diets did not affect fecundity substantially. As expected, the majority of eggs were laid within the first week. Prolongation of moths' lifespan by floral diets did not significantly increase the total number of eggs laid in contrast to a diet with 25% sucrose solution. According to these results, the risk of inadvertently promoting codling moth when growing selected flowering plants in the orchard will be rather low, because the fitness of the moths and especially the reproduction of the females will not be substantially enhanced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Mátray
- Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Biological Control, Heinrichstr. 243, Darmstadt, D-64287, Germany
| | - Annette Herz
- Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Biological Control, Heinrichstr. 243, Darmstadt, D-64287, Germany
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Benvenuti S, Mazzoncini M, Cioni PL, Flamini G. Wildflower-pollinator interactions: Which phytochemicals are involved? Basic Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2020.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Mozuraitis R, Murtazina R, Zurita J, Pei Y, Ilag L, Wiklund C, Karlson AKB. Anti-aphrodisiac pheromone, a renewable signal in adult butterflies. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14262. [PMID: 31582781 PMCID: PMC6776535 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50838-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The male butterfly Pieris napi produces the anti-aphrodisiac pheromone methyl salicylate (MeS) and transfers it to the female during mating. After mating she releases MeS, when courted by conspecific males, which decreases her attractiveness and the duration of male harassment, thus increasing her time available for egg-laying. In previous studies we have shown that males produced MeS from the amino acid L-phenylalanine (L-Phe) acquired during larval stage. In this study we show that adult males of P. napi can utilize L-Phe and aromatic flower volatiles as building blocks for production of anti-aphrodisiac pheromone and transfer it to females during mating. We demonstrate this by feeding butterflies with stable isotope labelled molecules mixed in sugar solutions, and, to mimic the natural conditions, we fed male butterflies with floral nectar of Bunias orientalis plants treated with labelled L-Phe. The volatiles from butterflies and plants were collected and identified by solid phase micro extraction, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques. Since P. napi is polygamous, males would gain from restoring the titre of MeS after mating and the use of aromatic precursors for production of MeS could be considered as an advantageous trait which could enable butterflies to relocate L-Phe for other needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raimondas Mozuraitis
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Laboratory of Chemical and Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Rushana Murtazina
- Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, SE-100 44, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Javier Zurita
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yuxin Pei
- Northwest A&F University, Department of Applied Chemistry, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - Leopold Ilag
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christer Wiklund
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Karin Borg Karlson
- Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, SE-100 44, Stockholm, Sweden.,Division of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Technology, Tartu University, Tartu, 50411, Estonia
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Jaumann S, Snell-Rood EC. Adult nutritional stress decreases oviposition choosiness and fecundity in female butterflies. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Jaumann
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, MN, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, NW, Suite, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Emilie C Snell-Rood
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, MN, USA
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Ehl S, Hostert K, Korsch J, Gros P, Schmitt T. Sexual dimorphism in the alpine butterflies Boloria pales and Boloria napaea: differences in movement and foraging behavior (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 25:1089-1101. [PMID: 28618194 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 03/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism is a widespread phenomenon in Lepidoptera. It is reflected in differences in life history, behavior and morphology. Analyses of differences in behavior are mostly difficult and time-consuming, especially in high mountain ecosystems. To enhance our knowledge on sexual dimorphisms of alpine butterflies, we performed a mark-release-recapture study on 2 species common in the Alps: Boloria pales and Boloria napaea. We analysed movement and foraging behavior to investigate differences between sexes. Both sexes were mostly sedentary and the movement distances of males and females similar. However, obvious differences in dispersal behavior between the sexes were found in the movement patterns. Three different patterns were distinguished. Most males showed intensive flight activity, but mostly flew only in a limited part of the entire habitat (i.e., their individual home range) searching for females, whereas females were less flight active and flew only to find places for oviposition or feeding. The third pattern, where individuals flew larger distances, was only observed in a small number of males, which always returned to their home range. Nearly all feeding was observed on Asteraceae. However, males preferred the genera Leontodon and Crepis, while females preferred Leontodon and Carduus. Apart from this sexual difference in foraging, individuals of both sexes were found to be more or less specialised on nectar sources. Flight activity was generally greater in males than females. Therefore, we think that sex-specific requirements in nectar ingredients exist, that is, sugar for the intensive flight activity of males and amino acids for egg production of females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Ehl
- Department of Biogeography, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
| | | | - Jana Korsch
- Department of Biogeography, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
| | - Patrick Gros
- Haus der Natur Salzburg, Work group Entomology, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Senckenberg German Entomological Institute, Müncheberg, Germany
- Entomology, Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
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Levin E, McCue MD, Davidowitz G. More than just sugar: allocation of nectar amino acids and fatty acids in a Lepidopteran. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.2126. [PMID: 28148746 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to allocate resources, even when limited, is essential for survival and fitness. We examine how nutrients that occur in minute amounts are allocated among reproductive, somatic, and metabolic demands. In addition to sugar, flower nectars contain two macronutrients-amino acids and fatty acids. We created artificial nectars spiked with 13C-labelled amino acids and fatty acids and fed these to adult moths (Manduca sexta: Sphingidae) to understand how they allocate these nutrients among competing sinks (reproduction, somatic tissue, and metabolic fuel). We found that both essential and non-essential amino acids were allocated to eggs and flight muscles and were still detectable in early-instar larvae. Parental-derived essential amino acids were more conserved in the early-instars than non-essential amino acids. All amino acids were used as metabolic fuel, but the non-essential amino acids were oxidized at higher rates than essential amino acids. Surprisingly, the nectar fatty acids were not vertically transferred to offspring, but were readily used as a metabolic fuel by the moth, minimizing losses of endogenous nutrient stores. We conclude that the non-carbohydrate components of nectar may play important roles in both reproductive success and survival of these nectar-feeding animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eran Levin
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Marshall D McCue
- Department of Biological Sciences, St. Mary's University, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Goggy Davidowitz
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Arnold PM, Michaels HJ. Nectar sampling for prairie and oak savanna butterfly restoration. APPLICATIONS IN PLANT SCIENCES 2017; 5:apps1600148. [PMID: 28690931 PMCID: PMC5499304 DOI: 10.3732/apps.1600148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Understanding floral resources is vital for restoring pollinators in habitats affected by anthropogenic development and climate change. As the primary adult food, nectar can limit butterfly longevity and reproduction. For pollinator restoration, it would therefore be useful to examine nectar resources. However, because many flowers preferred by butterflies are too small for microcapillary sampling and the potential for nectar contamination can make accurate measurement difficult, we developed a modified centrifugation method to extract and separate nectar and pollen. METHODS We sampled nectar from 19 forbs using a glass wool filter to exclude potentially contaminating pollen during centrifugation. To minimize costs, we measured sugar concentration by refractometry and simple ninhydrin tests for amino acids and improved test accuracy by subsequent image analysis. Artificial nectars were used to verify the new techniques. RESULTS This method eliminated pollen from samples, while only slightly increasing sugar concentrations. Some amino acids were lost during centrifugation, but only samples with high concentrations exhibited substantial loss. We found significant differences in nectar quality among species, as well as an unexpected inverse relationship between amino acid and sugar concentrations. DISCUSSION This modified centrifugation technique is an efficient, less damaging, inexpensive approach for collecting nectar from small flowers while eliminating pollen contamination, and will facilitate restoration of declining pollinators and thereby the plants they service.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige M. Arnold
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403 USA
| | - Helen J. Michaels
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403 USA
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Da XW, Zhang R, Chen GL, Ren QM, Lin YF, Du B. Why Do Males ofParnassius imperatorFight for Bare Rocks but Not the Nectar Flower During Mate Selection? Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Wei Da
- School of Life Sciences; Lanzhou University; Lanzhou City Gansu Province China
| | - Rui Zhang
- School of Life Sciences; Lanzhou University; Lanzhou City Gansu Province China
| | - Guo-Liang Chen
- School of Life Sciences; Lanzhou University; Lanzhou City Gansu Province China
| | - Qing-Miao Ren
- School of Life Sciences; Lanzhou University; Lanzhou City Gansu Province China
| | - Yi-Fan Lin
- School of Life Sciences; Lanzhou University; Lanzhou City Gansu Province China
| | - Bo Du
- School of Life Sciences; Lanzhou University; Lanzhou City Gansu Province China
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Woestmann L, Saastamoinen M. The importance of trans-generational effects in Lepidoptera. Curr Zool 2016; 62:489-499. [PMID: 29491938 PMCID: PMC5804281 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of trans-generational effects in shaping an individuals’ phenotype and fitness, and consequently even impacting population dynamics is increasingly apparent. Most of the research on trans-generational effects still focuses on plants, mammals, and birds. In the past few years, however, increasing number of studies, especially on maternal effects, have highlighted their importance also in many insect systems. Lepidoptera, specifically butterflies, have been used as model systems for studying the role of phenotypic plasticity within generations. As ectotherms, they are highly sensitive to environmental variation, and indeed many butterflies show adaptive phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental conditions. Here, we synthesize what is known about trans-generational effects in Lepidoptera, compile evidence for different environmental cues that are important drivers of trans-generational effects, and point out which offspring traits are mainly impacted. Finally, we emphasize directions for future research that are needed for better understanding of the adaptive nature of trans-generational effects in Lepidoptera in particular, but potentially also in other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Woestmann
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marjo Saastamoinen
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
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Kadlec T, Jakubikova L, Herman P. Larval Habitat Preferences of Vanishing ButterflyHipparchia semeleL.: Surviving on Human-Altered Habitats in the Czech Republic, Central Europe. POLISH JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.3161/15052249pje2016.64.1.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Floral resource limitation severely reduces butterfly survival, condition and flight activity in simplified agricultural landscapes. Oecologia 2015; 180:421-7. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3492-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Cahenzli F, Wenk BA, Erhardt A. Female butterflies adapt and allocate their progeny to the host-plant quality of their own larval experience. Ecology 2015; 96:1966-73. [PMID: 26378318 DOI: 10.1890/14-1275.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies with diverse taxa have shown that parents can utilize their experience of the environment to adapt their offspring's phenotype to the same environmental conditions. Thus, offspring would then perform best under environmental conditions experienced by their parents due to transgenerational phenotypic plasticity. Such an effect has been dubbed transgenerational acclimatization. However, evidence that parents can subsequently ensure the appropriate environmental conditions in order that offspring benefit from transgenerational acclimatization has never been demonstrated. We reared Pieris rapae larvae in the parental generation on high-nitrogen and low-nitrogen host plants, and reared the offspring (F1) of both treatments again on high- and low-nitrogen plants. Furthermore, we tested if females prefer to oviposit on high- or low-nitrogen host plants in two-way choice tests. We here show not only that females adapt their offspring's phenotype to the host-plant quality that they themselves experienced, but that females also mainly oviposit on the host quality to which they adapt their offspring. Moreover, effects of larval host plant on oviposition preference of females increased across two generations in F1-females acclimatized to low-nitrogen host plants, showing an adaptive host shift from one generation to the next. These findings may have profound implications for host-race formation and sympatric speciation.
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Newcombe D, Hunt J, Mitchell C, Moore AJ. Maternal effects and maternal selection arising from variation in allocation of free amino acid to eggs. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:2397-410. [PMID: 26120429 PMCID: PMC4475372 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Revised: 04/10/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal provisioning can have profound effects on offspring phenotypes, or maternal effects, especially early in life. One ubiquitous form of provisioning is in the makeup of egg. However, only a few studies examine the role of specific egg constituents in maternal effects, especially as they relate to maternal selection (a standardized selection gradient reflecting the covariance between maternal traits and offspring fitness). Here, we report on the evolutionary consequences of differences in maternal acquisition and allocation of amino acids to eggs. We manipulated acquisition by varying maternal diet (milkweed or sunflower) in the large milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus. Variation in allocation was detected by examining two source populations with different evolutionary histories and life-history response to sunflower as food. We measured amino acids composition in eggs in this 2 × 2 design and found significant effects of source population and maternal diet on egg and nymph mass and of source population, maternal diet, and their interaction on amino acid composition of eggs. We measured significant linear and quadratic maternal selection on offspring mass associated with variation in amino acid allocation. Visualizing the performance surface along the major axes of nonlinear selection and plotting the mean amino acid profile of eggs from each treatment onto the surface revealed a saddle-shaped fitness surface. While maternal selection appears to have influenced how females allocate amino acids, this maternal effect did not evolve equally in the two populations. Furthermore, none of the population means coincided with peak performance. Thus, we found that the composition of free amino acids in eggs was due to variation in both acquisition and allocation, which had significant fitness effects and created selection. However, although there can be an evolutionary response to novel food resources, females may be constrained from reaching phenotypic optima with regard to allocation of free amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devi Newcombe
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter Cornwall Campus, Penryn, TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - John Hunt
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter Cornwall Campus, Penryn, TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Christopher Mitchell
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter Cornwall Campus, Penryn, TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Allen J Moore
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter Cornwall Campus, Penryn, TR10 9EZ, UK ; Department of Genetics, University of Georgia Athens, Georgia, 30602
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Niitepõld K, Perez A, Boggs CL. Aging, life span, and energetics under adult dietary restriction in lepidoptera. Physiol Biochem Zool 2014; 87:684-94. [PMID: 25244380 DOI: 10.1086/677570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Stressful conditions can affect resource allocation among different life-history traits. The effect of dietary restriction (DR) on longevity and reproduction has been studied in many species, but we know little about its effects on energetics, especially in flying animals that have high energy demand. We assessed the effects of DR on metabolic rate throughout the entire adult life span in two butterfly species, Colias eurytheme and Speyeria mormonia. We cut the food intake of adult females in half and measured resting metabolic rate (RMR) and flight metabolic rate (FMR) together with body mass repeatedly throughout life. In both species, DR reduced body mass, but mass-corrected FMR was not affected, indicating that flight capacity was retained. DR lowered RMR and reduced fecundity but had no effect on life span. FMR declined with age, but the rate of senescence was not affected by DR. In contrast, aging had a strong negative effect on RMR only in control females, whereas food-restricted females had more stable RMR throughout their lives. The results suggest that flight capacity is conserved during nutritional stress but that investment in flight and survival may negatively affect other important physiological processes when resources are limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristjan Niitepõld
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305; 2Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, Colorado 81224
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Cahenzli F, Erhardt A. Host plant defence in the larval stage affects feeding behaviour in adult butterflies. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Nectar amino acids enhance reproduction in male butterflies. Oecologia 2012; 171:197-205. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2395-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2012] [Accepted: 06/06/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Cahenzli F, Erhardt A. Nectar sugars enhance fitness in male Coenonympha pamphilus butterflies by increasing longevity or realized reproduction. OIKOS 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2012.20190.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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