Oecologia (2007) 152, 425-433
H. Colinet, G. Boivin and Th. Hance (2007)
Manipulation of parasitoid size using the temperature-size rule: fitness consequences
Oecologia 152 (3), 425-433
Abstract: The phenotypic effects of rearing temperature on several fitness components of the koinobiont parasitoid, Aphidius colemani, were examined. Temperatures experienced during development induced a plastic linear response in the dry and fat masses of the immature stage and a non-linear response in the growth rate as well as in the size of adults. We investigated if the phenotypic morphometrical plasticity exhibited by parasitoids reared at different temperatures can induce variations in fitness-related traits in females. We did not find any difference in immature (pupal) mortality in accordance to rearing temperature. However, when examining adult longevity, we found an inverse linear relation with developmental temperature, confirming the usual rule that larger and fatter wasps live longer than smaller ones. The pattern of female fecundity was non-linear; wasps that developed at high and low temperatures were less productive. We suggest that when development is short, the accumulated reserves are not adequate to support both fecundity and survival. By manipulating adult size through changes in the rearing temperature, we showed that the usual shape of the size/fitness function is not always linear as expected. Developmental temperature induced a plasticity in energy reserves which affected the functional constraints between survival and reproduction.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Hervé Colinet, Thierry Hance, Guy Boivin
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
rearing/culturing/mass production
environment/habitat manipulation
Pest and/or beneficial records:
| Beneficial | Pest/Disease/Weed | Crop/Product | Country | Quarant.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aphidius colemani (parasitoid) |
