Low energy reserves and energy allocation decisions affect reproduction by Mountain Pine Beetles, Dendroctonus ponderosae
Date
2005
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Abstract
1.
Low internal energy reserves at the beginning of the breeding season may impose
physiological constraints on an animal’s reproductive investment and may alter the
optimal trade-off between investment in reproduction and somatic condition.
2.
Here we examine how the energetic condition of female Mountain Pine Beetles
(
Dendroctonus ponderosae
) affects their reproductive investment. We starved beetles to
simulate the decrease in energy that accompanies dispersal and tested whether starved
beetles had decreased egg number and decreased egg size, or both. We further distinguished
whether changes are due to physiological constraints or shifts in allocation
between reproduction and somatic condition.
3.
We found that starved beetles produced smaller eggs than non-starved beetles, but
females were able to partially offset the energetic deficit by feeding at their breeding
habitat. Starvation did not decrease the number of eggs beetles produced.
4.
The number and size of eggs produced depended on whether females allocated energy
to reproduction or to somatic condition. However, this life-history allocation decision
was independent of the amount of energy beetles had at the beginning of reproduction.
5.
Our results demonstrate the importance of assessing reproductive investment in the
context of other life-history trade-offs. Specifically, since egg size in Mountain Pine
Beetles was highly dependent on both the amount of energy remaining after dispersal
and whether energy was allocated to reproduction or somatic maintenance, we expect
both of these trade-offs to be under strong selection.
Description
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Keywords
Biology
Citation
C. M. ELKIN, M. L. REID "Low energy reserves and energy allocation decisions affect reproduction by Mountain Pine Beetles, Dendroctonus ponderosae" Functional Ecology 2005 19, 102-109