No nutritional benefits of egg cannibalism for Coleomegilla maculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) on a high-quality diet

2017 ◽  
Vol 108 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-350
Author(s):  
A.H. Abdelwahab ◽  
J.P. Michaud ◽  
M.H. Bayoumy ◽  
S.S. Awadalla ◽  
M. El-Gendy
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Intraspecific Competition ◽  
Fourth Instar ◽  
Coleomegilla Maculata ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Egg Cannibalism ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
Aphid Prey ◽  
Quality Diet ◽  
Nutritional Benefits

AbstractEgg cannibalism serves various functions in the Coccinellidae. Here we examined the fitness consequences of egg cannibalism by neonates, fourth instar larvae, and prereproductive adults of Coleomegilla maculata DeGeer, with beetles fed a diet of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller eggs. Cannibalism of two eggs by neonates had no effect on development, and cannibalism of five eggs by fourth instars did not benefit any aspect of reproduction, but delayed pupation slightly. Cannibalism of eggs by pre-reproductive adults had no effect on reproductive success in any combination of reciprocal crosses of cannibals and non-cannibals. Females did not recognize, nor avoid consuming, their own clutches, and cannibalism propensity did not change following mating and onset of oviposition in either sex. These results contrast with those for more strictly aphidophagous species in which larvae gain developmental benefits, and females may recognize and avoid filial egg clusters while using cannibalism to interfere with conspecific females, whereas males reduce egg cannibalism after mating because they cannot recognize filial clusters. Egg cannibalism may confer developmental benefits to C. maculata when diet is suboptimal, as previously shown, but no such benefits were evident on the high-quality E. kuehniella egg diet. Female C. maculata do not require aphids to reproduce and distribute their eggs broadly in the environment, given that larvae can develop on pollen and non-aphid prey. Thus, C. maculata is not subject to the intraspecific competition that selects for cannibalism in more aphidophagous species, and also lacks many secondary adaptations associated with the behaviour.

scholarly journals Diet Quality Is Associated with a High Newborn Size and Reduction in the Risk of Low Birth Weight and Small for Gestational Age in a Group of Mexican Pregnant Women: An Observational Study

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1853
Author(s):  
María A. Reyes-López. ◽  
Carla P. González-Leyva ◽  
Ameyalli M. Rodríguez-Cano ◽  
Carolina Rodríguez-Hernández ◽  
Eloisa Colin-Ramírez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Diet Quality ◽  
Gestational Age ◽  
Small For Gestational Age ◽  
Mexican Women ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Quality Diet ◽  
Newborn Size

A high-quality diet during pregnancy may have positive effects on fetal growth and nutritional status at birth, and it may modify the risk of developing chronic diseases later in life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between diet quality and newborn nutritional status in a group of pregnant Mexican women. As part of the ongoing Mexican prospective cohort study, OBESO, we studied 226 healthy pregnant women. We adapted the Alternated Healthy Eating Index-2010 for pregnancy (AHEI-10P). The association between maternal diet and newborn nutritional status was investigated by multiple linear regression and logistic regression models. We applied three 24-h recalls during the second half of gestation. As the AHEI-10P score improved by 5 units, the birth weight and length increased (β = 74.8 ± 35.0 g and β = 0.3 ± 0.4 cm, respectively, p < 0.05). Similarly, the risk of low birth weight (LBW) and small for gestational age (SGA) decreased (OR: 0.47, 95%CI: 0.27–0.82 and OR: 0.55, 95%CI: 0.36–0.85, respectively). In women without preeclampsia and/or GDM, the risk of stunting decreased as the diet quality score increased (+5 units) (OR: 0.62, 95%IC: 0.40–0.96). A high-quality diet during pregnancy was associated with a higher newborn size and a reduced risk of LBW and SGA in this group of pregnant Mexican women.

scholarly journals Lightweight males of Podisus nigrispinus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) neglect lightweight females due low reproductive fitness

2016 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. I. A. Pereira ◽  
R. B. Silva ◽  
W. S. Tavares ◽  
J. B. Malaquias ◽  
J. C. Zanuncio
Keyword(s):  
Stink Bugs ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Gossypium Hirsutum L ◽  
Nymphal Stage ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Food Shortages ◽  
Quality Diet ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Heteroptera Pentatomidae ◽  
Coleoptera Tenebrionidae

Abstract Sexual choice by male stink bugs is important because females that experience food shortages lay fewer eggs with lower viability compared with well-fed females. In this study, we investigated whether Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) males fed with a low-quality diet during its nymphal stage show selectivity for sexual partners resulting in high-quality progeny. Lightweight males and females were obtained from nymphs fed weekly with Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) pupae. By contrast, heavyweight males and females were fed three times a week and received an extra nutritional source: cotton leaves, Gossypium hirsutum L. (Malvaceae). Lightweight males preferred to mate with heavy females (77.78 ± 14.69%), whereas heavyweight males did not discriminated between light or heavyweight females. Females mated with lightweight males showed similar levels of reproduction to those mated with heavyweight males. The results provide an indication of the importance of male and female body weight for sexual selection in Asopinae stink bugs.

scholarly journals Does vegetation change over 28 years affect habitat use and reproductive success?

The Auk ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 137 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karolina Fierro-Calderón ◽  
Thomas E Martin
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Nest Survival ◽  
Selection Function ◽  
Patch Use ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
Long Term Changes ◽  
Changes Over Time ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Individuals should prefer and use habitats that confer high fitness, but habitat use is not always adaptive. Vegetation in natural landscapes changes gradually and the ability of species to adaptively adjust their habitat use to long-term changes is largely unstudied. We studied nest patch and territory use over 28 yr in Orange-crowned Warblers (Oreothlypis celata) in a system that has undergone natural long-term changes in vegetation. Abundance of maple (Acer grandidentatum), its preferred nesting habitat, gradually declined from 1987 to 2015. We examined whether habitat use and its fitness consequences changed as the availability of preferred habitat decreased. We used resource selection function models to determine changes over time in the probability of using a nest patch given available patches, and the probability of using a territory given available territories. We estimated nest survival to evaluate changes over time in the fitness consequences of nest patch use. We also compared habitat use (nest patch and territory) and fitness (nest survival) between areas with naturally reduced abundance of maple and experimentally increased abundance of maple (fenced areas). Nest patch use depended on maple abundance and did not change drastically across 28 yr, even though the availability of preferred maple patches decreased over time. In contrast, nest survival tended to decrease over time. We did not see differences in nest patch use and nest survival between unfenced and fenced areas, unlike territory use, which increased with the abundance of maple in fenced areas and decreased in unfenced areas. Our study depicts one example of relatively unchanged habitat use in the face of decreased availability of preferred vegetation across years, with a resulting decrease in reproductive success. Investigating changes in habitat use and fitness consequences for animals exposed to long-term habitat change is necessary to understand adaptive behavioral responses.

Extra-pair copulations in common murres I: a mate attraction strategy?

Behaviour ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 143 (10) ◽  
pp. 1241-1262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen L. Cameron-Macmillan ◽  
Carolyn J. Walsh ◽  
Sabina I. Wilhelm ◽  
Anne E. Storey
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Uria Aalge ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Mate Attraction ◽  
Extra Pair Paternity ◽  
Socially Monogamous ◽  
Common Murres ◽  
Breeding Seasons

AbstractWe investigated the behavioural context of pair (PCs) and extra-pair copulations (EPCs) in individually-marked socially-monogamous, long-lived seabirds, common murres (Uria aalge). Since forced EPCs have been documented for this species, we first examined which sex controls successful (cloacal contact achieved) copulation. The finding that all successful copulations required female cooperation and crouching suggested that benefits of successful EPCs accrue primarily to females. In a group of murres for which paternity analyses indicated no extra-pair paternity, behavioural observations over five breeding seasons showed that individual females engaged in EPCs primarily under two circumstances: (1) before they were reunited with their mates, and (2) when they were in the process of re-pairing. There was no such relationship between EPCs and re-pairing for males. Successful EPCs occurred with familiar neighboring males of apparent high quality, indicated by their high ledge attendance and prior reproductive success rates. Thus, EPCs may be used by females to attract potential high quality mates in situations where females are attempting to re-pair as a result of divorce or mate death.

Diet intake and endurance performance in Kenyan runners

2004 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk L Christensen
Keyword(s):  
Endurance Performance ◽  
Essential Amino Acids ◽  
The Body ◽  
Physiological Adaptation ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Optimal Functioning ◽  
Elite Level ◽  
Quality Diet ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Diet Intake

AbstractTraining and competing at elite as well as sub-elite level requires an optimal functioning of the body. This review looks at the case of the Kenyan runners, who consume a relatively high-quality diet based on vegetable sources with maize and kidney beans as the staple foods. The diet is high in carbohydrate and total protein, but low to borderline in a few essential amino acids. The timing of diet intake – immediately after training sessions – is optimal for skeletal muscle glycogen resynthesis that is enhanced without the help of insulin up to 60 min after cessation of exercise. Whether the total energy intake of the Kenyan runners is adequate is debatable. However, chronic undernutrition is not possible for athletes who engage in daily high-quality and -quantity physical exercise throughout most of the year. It is suggested that Kenyan runners participate in well-controlled, laboratory studies to investigate the quality of local foods and performance, as well as possible physiological adaptation mechanisms among athletes with a high habitual energy turnover.

Reproductive strategies in hermaphroditic gastropods: conceptual and empirical approaches

2013 ◽  
Vol 91 (6) ◽  
pp. 367-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yumi Nakadera ◽  
Joris M. Koene
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Experimental Research ◽  
Reproductive System ◽  
Reproductive Strategy ◽  
Reproductive Strategies ◽  
Sex Allocation ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Empirical Approaches

An individual optimizes its reproductive success by adopting a particular reproductive strategy. Studying the details of a reproductive strategy leads to an understanding of how sexual selection acts, as the former is the process via which the individual reproduces successfully. Hermaphroditic gastropods display a bewildering diversity of reproductive strategies, which may be due to their mode of gender expression, when compared with well-studied separate-sexed species. Extensive theoretical, observational, and experimental research has been conducted on this topic. However, despite our knowledge about the reproductive system of hermaphroditic gastropods, we still need to fill the gap between pre- and post-copulatory processes and reproductive success. Here, we review and propose conceptual and empirical approaches aimed at understanding reproductive strategies of hermaphroditic gastropods. In sum, our suggestions are (i) to focus on sex-biased traits, (ii) to take biologically reliable measurements at both the pre- and post-copulatory level that relate to reproductive success, and (iii) to examine the fitness consequences of biased sex allocation.

scholarly journals Do female coleopteran parasitoids enhance their reproductive success by selecting high-quality oviposition sites?

2001 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 1046-1052 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Fournet ◽  
D. Poinsot ◽  
E. Brunel ◽  
J. P. Nénon ◽  
A. M. Cortesero
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Oviposition Sites

Variability in the prevalence of infection and cercarial production in Galba truncatula raised on a high-quality diet

2004 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 242-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Rondelaud ◽  
C. Den�ve ◽  
M. Belfaiza ◽  
A. Mekroud ◽  
M. Abrous ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Quality ◽  
Galba Truncatula ◽  
Cercarial Production ◽  
Quality Diet

scholarly journals Early experience and parent-of-origin-specific effects influence female reproductive success in mice

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reinmar Hager ◽  
Rufus A Johnstone
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Female Reproductive Success ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
Mixed Litter ◽  
Offspring Growth ◽  
Parent Of Origin

Recent studies on mammals investigating parent-of-origin-specific effects such as genomic imprinting and maternal effects have demonstrated their impact on short-term measures of fitness, for example offspring growth. However, the long-term fitness consequences of parent-of-origin-specific effects and their role outside the immediate mother–offspring interaction remain largely unexplored. Here, we show that female mice mated to males that inherited the same set of paternal and maternal genes as themselves have a higher reproductive success than females mated to males of reciprocal genotype. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the early social environment experienced by an individual influences its reproductive success. Females raised with unrelated siblings in a mixed litter had a subsequent lower reproductive success than those that were fostered together with all their biological siblings in unmixed litters. Our results highlight the important influence of parent-of-origin-specific effects and conditions in early development on long-term reproductive success in mammals and suggest that parent-of-origin-specific effects may provide the underlying mechanism for beneficial coadaptation between genotypes, for example, in mate choice.

scholarly journals Red-cockaded Woodpecker Microhabitat Characteristics and Reproductive Success in a Loblolly-Shortleaf Pine Forest

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-54
Author(s):  
Douglas R. Wood ◽  
L. Wesley Burger, Jr. ◽  
Francisco J. Vilella
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Home Range ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Pine Forest ◽  
Range Size ◽  
Shortleaf Pine ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Vegetation Height ◽  
Red Cockaded Woodpecker ◽  
Nesting Season

We investigated the relationship between red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) reproductive success and microhabitat characteristics in a southeastern loblolly (Pinus taeda) and shortleaf (P. echinata) pine forest. From 1997 to 1999, we recorded reproductive success parameters of 41 red-cockaded woodpecker groups at the Bienville National Forest, Mississippi. Microhabitat characteristics were measured for each group during the nesting season. Logistic regression identified understory vegetation height and small nesting season home range size as predictors of red-cockaded woodpecker nest attempts. Linear regression models identified several variables as predictors of red-cockaded woodpecker reproductive success including group density, reduced hardwood component, small nesting season home range size, and shorter foraging distances. Red-cockaded woodpecker reproductive success was correlated with habitat and behavioral characteristics that emphasize high quality habitat. By providing high quality foraging habitat during the nesting season, red-cockaded woodpeckers can successfully reproduce within small home ranges.

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