Life-History Traits of a Subtropical Cerambycid Beetle, Ropica honesta (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 923-928
Author(s):  
Keisuke Nagamine ◽  
Yoshiyasu Kusakabe ◽  
Takashi Tsuchida ◽  
Yuya Horiuchi ◽  
Yuya Nemoto ◽  
...  

Abstract Ropica honesta Pascoe is a small-sized cerambycid that has been recorded in tropical to subtropical Asia. In this study, life-history traits were examined for a local population collected from Iriomote Island (24.3°N, 123.8°E), Okinawa, Japan, by rearing insects on artificial diet as larval food. The egg period was 5.9 ± 0.3 d at 25°C. There was no significant difference in the duration of the larval, pupal, and adult preoviposition periods between long-day (14:10 [L:D]) and short-day (12:12 [L:D]) photoperiods at both 20 and 25°C. These periods at 25°C (14:10 [L:D]) were 28.5 ± 1.4, 8.4 ± 0.5, and 9.6 ± 1.9 d (mean ± SD), respectively. The relationship between the developmental rate and temperature followed the law of total effective temperature; thus, the developmental threshold temperature and thermal constant were estimated based on these data. Together with the finding that R. honesta may not have diapause in the egg stage, it is suggested that this beetle does not have diapause in the life cycle. Furthermore, when larvae were reared on natural food (dead twigs of hardwoods) adults emerged from the twigs 47.6 ± 2.9 d after oviposition, and this value was close to the total duration of the egg to pupal periods. Together with the data for annual temperature of the habitat and the fact that food resources for the species (dead twigs and leaves of hardwoods) are available throughout the year, we conclude that R. honesta develops and reproduces all year round, with five generations at maximum.

Biology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 462
Author(s):  
Zuzanna M. Filipiak ◽  
Michał Filipiak

Bee nutrition studies have focused on food quantity rather than quality, and on details of bee biology rather than on the functioning of bees in ecosystems. Ecological stoichiometry has been proposed for studies on bee nutritional ecology as an ecosystem-oriented approach complementary to traditional approaches. It uses atomic ratios of chemical elements in foods and organisms as metrics to ask ecological questions. However, information is needed on the fitness effects of nutritional mismatches between bee demand and the supply of specific elements in food. We performed the first laboratory feeding experiment on the wild bee Osmia bicornis, investigating the impact of Na, K, and Zn scarcity in larval food on fitness-related life history traits (mortality, cocoon development, and imago body mass). We showed that bee fitness is shaped by chemical element availability in larval food; this effect may be sex-specific, where Na might influence female body mass, while Zn influences male mortality and body mass, and the trade-off between K allocation in cocoons and adults may influence cocoon and body development. These results elucidate the nutritional mechanisms underlying the nutritional ecology, behavioral ecology, and population functioning of bees within the context of nutrient cycling in the food web.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnaud G. Barras ◽  
Sébastien Blache ◽  
Michael Schaub ◽  
Raphaël Arlettaz

Species- and population-specific responses to their environment may depend to a large extent on the spatial variation in life-history traits and in demographic processes of local population dynamics. Yet, those parameters and their variability remain largely unknown for many cold-adapted species, which are exposed to particularly rapid rates of environmental change. Here, we compared the demographic traits and dynamics for an emblematic bird species of European mountain ecosystems, the ring ouzel (Turdus torquatus). Using integrated population models fitted in a Bayesian framework, we estimated the survival probability, productivity and immigration of two populations from the Western European Alps, in France (over 11 years) and Switzerland (over 6 years). Juvenile apparent survival was lower and immigration rate higher in the Swiss compared to the French population, with the temporal variation in population growth rate driven by different demographic processes. Yet, when compared to populations in the northwestern part of the range, in Scotland, these two Alpine populations both showed a much lower productivity and higher adult survival, indicating a slower life-history strategy. Our results suggest that demographic characteristics can substantially vary across the discontinuous range of this passerine species, essentially due to contrasted, possibly locally evolved life-history strategies. This study therefore raises the question of whether flexibility in life-history traits is widespread among boreo-alpine species and if it might provide adaptive potential for coping with current environmental change.


Author(s):  
Walter E. Meshaka, Jr. ◽  
Pablo R. Delis ◽  
Katie Walters

We examined the Eastern Narrowmouth Toad,Gastrophryne carolinensis, along the northeastern edge of its geographic range in Virginia to determine the extent to which selected life history traits in this region adhered to patterns associated with a latitudinal gradient in this species. As in studies elsewhere, a significant difference in mean adult body size between males (28.3 mm SVL) and females (30.1 mm SVL) was typical of this species as was the absence of a relationship between clutch size and female body size. Mean body sizes of both sexes appeared larger in northern populations than southern counterparts. Geographically predictable, the breeding season in Virginia was severely curtailed in response to climatic constraints despite extended fertility, and its breeding activity peaked in mid-summer as it has been reported to do throughout its geographic range. Thus, along the northern edge of its geographic range, the Eastern Narrowmouth Toad retains its ability breed for a longer season despite present climatic constraints, an advantage in the face of climate change that could alter timing and duration of acceptable breeding atmospheric conditions.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cyrille K. Konan ◽  
Yves-Nathan T. Tian-Bi ◽  
Nana R. Diakité ◽  
Mamadou Ouattara ◽  
Jean T. Coulibaly ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Control of intermediate host snails using molluscicides for the control and/or elimination of schistosomiasis is strategy in the line with WHO recommendations. Niclosamide is the main chemical molluscicide recognized by WHO. However, the extent of the application of molluscicide outside the immediate killing of the snail such as the impact on the evolution of life-history traits; in relation to recolonization of treated sites is less or not known. This study aimed to characterize the spatial variation of life-history traits in Bulinus truncatus populations in north and central Côte d’Ivoire, in relation to niclosamide spraying in the field.From 2016 to 2018, we conducted a trial to control the intermediate host snails for interrupting seasonal transmission urinary schistosomiasis in northern and central Côte d’Ivoire, using niclosamide. The molluscicide was sprayed three times per year in habitats harboring the freshwater snail B. truncatus. Snails were collected before niclosamide application and 2-3 months after the sites were treated, and also from some untreated sites. Families from six natural populations of snails were monitored for several life-history traits, including growth, fecundity and survival, under laboratory conditions, over one generation (G1).Results: Survival rate varied among populations with the highest rates observed in northern populations. No significant difference was detected between populations before and after treatment, for this trait. Numbers of eggs and eggs per capsule at first reproduction, fecundity and growth were significantly lower in treated than untreated groups. Similar finding was observed for populations of before and after treatment. Egg production also varied across populations with the highest values found in northern populations. Within treated group, a significant difference for survival rate was detected between northern and central populations. Almost all parameters of reproduction and growth varied significantly, except for the number of egg capsules.Conclusions: Our study shows a spatial variation of life-history traits in B. truncatus snails. Lower values of these traits were observed in populations from recolonized sites after treatment with niclosamide. This trend was much more perceptible in populations from central Côte d’Ivoire. Investigations should be carried out over several generations of snails in order to clarify the impact of niclosamide on their life-history traits.


2019 ◽  
Vol 109 (05) ◽  
pp. 626-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Chen ◽  
H. Yang ◽  
F. Xue ◽  
Q. Xia

AbstractLife-history theory predicts a trade-off between the juvenile growth rate and adult traits related to survival. However, this hypothesized negative correlation is difficult to test robustly because many trade-offs are mild, and environmental variables, such as changes in nutrient availability, can ameliorate the trade-off or make it more pronounced. Thus, it is reasonable to expect that the expression of the trade-off can be condition-dependent. In the present study, we first examined the pre-adult life-history traits of the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, collected from northern, central, and southern China at different temperatures. We found that the northern China population has a significantly shorter pre-adult developmental time and higher growth rate than the southern China population as a result of adaptation to the decreased seasonal length. Then, we tested for a trade-off between the juvenile growth rate and adult lifespan in different temperature and nutrient conditions. We found a negative relationship between juvenile growth rate and adult lifespan under starvation or desiccation conditions; however, a continuous supply of sugar can diminish or obviate the apparent negative relationship, in which the adult lifespan did not show a significant difference in most of the comparisons. These results suggested a resource-mediated trade-off may exist between juvenile growth rate and adult lifespan. However, the adult size may have some positive effect on the lifespan under starvation and desiccation conditions, which may affect the expression of trade-off.


Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 292
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Ganjisaffar ◽  
Thomas M. Perring

Ooencyrtus lucidus Triapitsyn & Ganjisaffar (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) was recently recovered from fresh sentinel eggs of Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in California. In the present study, life history traits of O. lucidus were studied at 26 ± 0 . 5 ∘ C, 40 ± 10 % RH, and a photoperiod of 14 L: 10 D hours. Results showed that 95.2% of the parasitized eggs yielded successful emergence of adults. The total immature developmental time was 14.27 and 13.95 days for females and males, respectively. The sex ratio of O. lucidus was 0.5 (females/offspring). Mated females laid on average 6.0 eggs per day and 222.7 eggs during their mean ovipositional period of 37.3 days. There was no significant difference in reproduction parameters between mated and non-mated females. The net reproductive rate ( R 0 ) was 103.8 females/female/generation, the intrinsic rate of increase ( r m ) was 0.171 females/female/day, the finite rate of increase ( λ ) was 1.187 population multiplication/day, the mean generation time (T) was 27.1 days, and the doubling time (DT) was 4.0 days. The highest longevity was observed in mated and non-mated females fed with honey, and they lived for 70.8 and 70.1 days, respectively. Providing females with host eggs in addition to honey, reduced their longevity by 24% in mated and 28% in non-mated individuals. Non-mated females and males deprived of honey only lived for 3.5 and 2.5 days after emergence, respectively. Our results indicate that O. lucidus has sufficient life history traits to make it a promising egg parasitoid for the biological control of B. hilaris.


2017 ◽  
Vol 107 (11) ◽  
pp. 1440-1445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guisuibou Daimei ◽  
Harpreet Singh Raina ◽  
Pukhrambam Pushpa Devi ◽  
Gunjan Kumar Saurav ◽  
Perumal Renukadevi ◽  
...  

The effect of Groundnut bud necrosis virus (GBNV) infection on the life history traits of its vector, Thrips palmi, and its feeding preference on GBNV-infected plants were studied. A significant difference was observed in the developmental period (first instar to adult) between the GBNV-infected and healthy thrips, wherein the developmental period of GBNV-infected thrips was decreased. However, there was no effect on the other parameters such as preadult mortality, adult longevity, and fecundity. Further investigation on a settling and feeding choice assay of T. palmi to GBNV-infected and healthy plants showed that T. palmi preferred GBNV-infected cowpea plants more than the healthy cowpea plants. This preference was also noticed for leaf disks from GBNV-infected cowpea, groundnut, and tomato plants.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiayue Yan ◽  
Roumaissa Kibech ◽  
Chris M. Stone

Abstract Background: The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, is the principal vector of multiple infectious pathogens that can cause severe illness such as dengue fever, yellow fever and Zika. Their transmission potential for these arboviruses is largely shaped by their life history traits, such as their survival and fecundity. These life history traits depend on environmental conditions, such as larval and adult nutrition (e.g., nectar availability). Both these types of nutrition are known to affect the energetic reserves and life history traits of adults, but whether and how nutrition obtained during different stages have an interactive influence on mosquito life history traits remains largely unknown. Results: Here, we experimentally manipulated both larval and adult diets to create four nutritional levels, that is, a high amount of larval food plus poor (weak concentration of sucrose) adult food: HL+PA, high larval plus good (normal sucrose concentration) adult food: HL+GA, low larval plus poor adult food: LL+PA and low larval plus good adult food: LL+GA. We then compared the size, survival and fecundity of mosquitoes reared from these nutritional regimes. We found that larval and adult nutrition affected mosquito size and survival, respectively, without interactions, while both larval and adult nutrition synergistically influenced mosquito fecundity. There was a positive relationship between mosquito size and fecundity. In addition, this positive relationship was not affected by nutrition. Conclusions: These findings highlight how larval and adult nutrition differentially influence mosquito life history traits, suggesting that studies evaluating nutritional effects on vectorial capacity traits should account for environmental variation across life stages.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiayue Yan ◽  
Roumaissa Kibech ◽  
Chris M. Stone

Abstract Background: The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, is the principal vector of multiple infectious pathogens that can cause severe illness such as dengue fever, yellow fever and Zika. Their transmission potential for these arboviruses is largely shaped by their life history traits, such as their survival and fecundity. These life history traits depend on environmental conditions, such as larval and adult nutrition (e.g., nectar availability). Both these types of nutrition are known to affect the energetic reserves and life history traits of adults, but whether and how nutrition obtained during different stages have an interactive influence on mosquito life history traits remains largely unknown. Methods: Here, we experimentally manipulated both larval and adult diets to create four nutritional levels, that is, a high amount of larval food plus poor (weak concentration of sucrose) adult food: HL+PA, high larval plus good (normal sucrose concentration) adult food: HL+GA, low larval plus poor adult food: LL+PA and low larval plus good adult food: LL+GA. We then compared the size, survival and fecundity of mosquitoes reared from these nutritional regimes. Results: We found that larval and adult nutrition affected mosquito size and survival, respectively, without interactions, while both larval and adult nutrition synergistically influenced mosquito fecundity. There was a positive relationship between mosquito size and fecundity. In addition, this positive relationship was not affected by nutrition. Conclusions: These findings highlight how larval and adult nutrition differentially influence mosquito life history traits, suggesting that studies evaluating nutritional effects on vectorial capacity traits should account for environmental variation across life stages.


2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 281-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanja Drobnjaković ◽  
Dejan Marčić ◽  
Mirjana Prijović ◽  
Pantelija Perić ◽  
Slobodan Milenković ◽  
...  

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