Causes of variation in body size and consequences for the life history of Sitodiplosis mosellana

2004 ◽  
Vol 136 (6) ◽  
pp. 839-850 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.A.H. Smith ◽  
R.J. Lamb
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Larval Instar ◽  
Larval Density ◽  
Egg Parasitoid ◽  
The Body ◽  
Adult Size ◽  
Larval Size ◽  
Sitodiplosis Mosellana ◽  
Developing Seed

AbstractThe body sizes of mature larvae and adults from field and laboratory populations of the wheat midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), were measured to determine possible causes of variation in size and consequences of such variation through the life history. Mature larvae varied eightfold in mass. Female larvae were 80% heavier than males, on average. Variation in mass was associated with both the position of larvae on a wheat spike and the number feeding together on a developing seed. Larvae were 9% smaller when they developed on smaller, later developing seeds and 15%–18% smaller when they competed with five other larvae on an average-sized seed. Fewer small larvae survived winter. Larval density per infested seed increased with number of larvae per spike, suggesting that larval size may have density-dependent population effects. Small larvae produced few adults of Macroglenes penetrans (Kirby) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), an egg parasitoid that overwinters as a larva in the third larval instar of S. mosellana. These effects were probably due to size, but sex may also have been a factor. The size of adults, measured by wing and abdomen length, was also variable, although less so than the size of larvae. Adult size was not associated with time of emergence and both large and small females dispersed, but female fecundity (4–105 mature eggs per individual) increased with body size.

scholarly journals Larval density, temperature and biological aspects of Chrysomya megacephala (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

2006 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 562-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Reigada ◽  
W.A.C. Godoy
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Life History ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Larval Density ◽  
Chrysomya Megacephala ◽  
Life History Characteristics ◽  
Two Temperatures ◽  
Biological Aspects ◽  
Experimental Populations ◽  
Simultaneous Influence

The effect of larval density on the survival, fecundity and body size at two temperatures in experimental populations of C. megacephala was studied. No effect from simultaneous influence of density and temperature on life history characteristics of C. megacephala was found. Significant effects of density and temperature on survival, fecundity and body size were observed. The importance of these results for the population dynamics of C. megacephala is discussed.

scholarly journals Density and body size of the larval stages of the invasive golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei) in two neotropical rivers

2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 282-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivianne Eilers ◽  
Márcia Divina de Oliveira ◽  
Kennedy Francis Roche
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Larval Stage ◽  
Larval Density ◽  
Limnoperna Fortunei ◽  
Larval Size ◽  
Larval Stages ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Paraguay River ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Golden Mussel

AIM: The present study involved an analysis of the monthly variations in the population densities and body sizes of the different stages of planktonic larvae of the invasive golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei), in the rivers Paraguay and Miranda; METHODS: The study was carried out between February 2004 and January 2005. Monthly collection of the plankton samples was accompanied by physical, chemical and biological analyses of the water; RESULTS: The Miranda River presented higher values of calcium, pH, alkalinity, conductivity and total phosphorous. Larval density varied from 0-24 individuals.L-1 in the Paraguay River, with a peak in March of 2004, while in the Miranda River, densities varied between 0-9 individuals.L-1 with a peak in February of 2004. No larvae were encountered during the coldest months, May and June. No significant correlations were found between environmental variables and larval density in either river. Only the valved larval stages were recorded. The "D" and veliger forms were most abundant; umbonate larvae were rare in the Miranda River samples. Mean body sizes of "D", veliger and umbonate larval stages were, respectively, 111, 135 and 152 µm, in the Paraguay River, and 112, 134 and 154 µm in the Miranda River. Principal Components Analysis indicated positive relationships between "D" larval stage size and the ratio between inorganic and organic suspended solids, while negative relationships were found between larval size and calcium and chlorophyll-<img border=0 width=7 height=8 src="/img/revistas/alb/2012nahead/ALB_AOP_230307car01.jpg">; CONCLUSIONS: The larvae were recorded in the plankton during most of the year, with the exception of the two colder months. Neither densities nor larval stage body sizes were significantly different between the two rivers. Possible positive effects of food and calcium concentrations on body size were not recorded. This species may be adapted to grow in environments with elevated sediment concentrations.

Effects of initial (larval) size and host body temperature on growth in trematodes

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 574-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Poulin ◽  
A David M. Latham
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Body Temperature ◽  
Adult Stage ◽  
Species Variation ◽  
Adult Size ◽  
Model Group ◽  
Larval Size ◽  
Relative Growth ◽  
Host Body ◽  
Adult Body

For ectotherms, temperature is an important correlate of variation in body size within species. Variation in body size among related species could also be attributable in part to temperature if the different species grow under different thermal regimes. The roles of both initial (larval) size and host body temperature on final (adult) size of parasitic trematodes were investigated in a comparative analysis. Trematodes are a good model group for such a study, with almost half of known species growing at high and constant temperatures in endothermic vertebrates and the rest at lower and fluctuating temperatures in ectothermic vertebrates. The relative growth of trematodes, i.e., their growth relative to the size of their larvae, varied greatly among species. Increases in body size from the cercarial larval stage to the adult stage averaged almost 40-fold (maximum 1300-fold), whereas increases in size from the metacercarial stage to the adult stage averaged 6-fold (maximum 110-fold). There were no differences between trematodes in ectothermic hosts and trematodes in endothermic hosts with respect to these measures of relative growth, however, which suggests that host type and the thermal regime provided by the host have no effect on the growth of trematodes from larval to adult stages. In contrast, the final (adult) body size of trematodes appears to be determined to some extent by their initial (larval) size, independently of the type of host in which they developed.

scholarly journals Exploring the Role of Insulin Signaling in Relative Growth: A Case Study on Wing-Body Scaling in Lepidoptera

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (5) ◽  
pp. 1324-1337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Z McKenna ◽  
Della Tao ◽  
H Frederik Nijhout
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Insulin Signaling ◽  
The Body ◽  
Adult Size ◽  
Tor Signaling ◽  
Relative Growth ◽  
Laboratory Populations ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Specific Variation ◽  
Wing Growth

Abstract Adult forms emerge from the relative growth of the body and its parts. Each appendage and organ has a unique pattern of growth that influences the size and shape it attains. This produces adult size relationships referred to as static allometries, which have received a great amount of attention in evolutionary and developmental biology. However, many questions remain unanswered, for example: What sorts of developmental processes coordinate growth? And how do these processes change given variation in body size? It has become increasingly clear that nutrition is one of the strongest influences on size relationships. In insects, nutrition acts via insulin/TOR signaling to facilitate inter- and intra-specific variation in body size and appendage size. Yet, the mechanism by which insulin signaling influences the scaling of growth remains unclear. Here we will discuss the potential roles of insulin signaling in wing-body scaling in Lepidoptera. We analyzed the growth of wings in animals reared on different diet qualities that induce a range of body sizes not normally present in our laboratory populations. By growing wings in tissue culture, we survey how perturbation and stimulation of insulin/TOR signaling influences wing growth. To conclude, we will discuss the implications of our findings for the development and evolution of organismal form.

Comparative life history features of the western spotted frog, Rana pretiosa, from low- and high-elevation populations

1975 ◽  
Vol 53 (9) ◽  
pp. 1254-1257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence E. Licht
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Life History ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Female Fecundity ◽  
Size At Sexual Maturity ◽  
Rana Pretiosa

Comparisons are made of life history features of the western spotted frog, Rana pretiosa pretiosa, living at 70 m in southwestern British Columbia, and 2600 m in Yellowstone Park, Wyoming.Lowland tadpoles remain longer as larvae and transform at twice the body size as highland tadpoles.Growth rates of juveniles and adults are rapid in the lowland population and the same amount of growth achieved by them in 2–3 years takes 8–10 years for highland frogs.Body size at sexual maturity is the same for frogs from both populations, but B.C. frogs breed at half the age of Wyoming frogs. Female fecundity, the number of eggs at spawning, is the same, but lowland females breed annually, while high-elevation females breed only every 2 or 3 years.Various explanations are put forth to account for observed differences.

Effect of larval body size on overwinter survival and emerging adult size in the burying beetle, Nicrophorus investigator

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (9) ◽  
pp. 1588-1593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosemary J Smith
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Survival Data ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Winter Period ◽  
Adult Size ◽  
Larval Size ◽  
Overwinter Survival

Body size may influence both adult fecundity and the probability of survival through each life stage. Previous studies of burying beetles (Nicrophorus, Coleoptera: Silphidae) have revealed reproductive advantages for larger adults and the role of parental care in determining larval size and number. In this study I measure the effect of size on survival over the winter period and the correlation between larval size and the size of emerging adults. I collected data from 24 groups of 20–25 larvae sorted by size and overwintered outside under natural conditions in Colorado, U.S.A. There was a significant positive correlation between larval size and adult size at emergence and a significant effect of size on overwinter survival. Data from 2 years yielded the following mean survival rates: small, 47.3 ± 1.0%; medium, 73.2 ± 0.7%; large, 85.7 ± 0.4%. These values were then used to accurately predict adult emergence from broods of larvae whose range of size was measured prior to the overwinter period. The results indicate that selection for large body size may result from an overwinter survival advantage and not just from reproductive success. This has implications for fitness models of parental care and models of population dynamics.

scholarly journals Relationships between the Pathogen Erysiphe alphitoides, the Phytophagous Mite Schizotetranychus garmani (Acari: Tetranychidae) and the Predatory Mite Euseius finlandicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in Oak

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 981
Author(s):  
Slobodan Milanović ◽  
Katarina Mladenović ◽  
Bojan Stojnić ◽  
Alejandro Solla ◽  
Ivan Milenković ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Powdery Mildew ◽  
Population Density ◽  
The Body ◽  
Pedunculate Oak ◽  
Adult Size ◽  
Phytophagous Mite ◽  
Euseius Finlandicus ◽  
Erysiphe Alphitoides ◽  
The Impact

Food webs on forest trees include plant pathogens, arthropods, and their natural enemies. To increase the understanding of the impact of a plant pathogen on herbivore-natural enemy interactions, we studied the powdery mildew fungus Erysiphe alphitoides, the phytophagous mite Schizotetranychus garmani, and the predatory and mycophagous mite Euseius finlandicus in pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) leaves. In June, July and August of 2016, we assessed the severity of powdery mildew, mite population density and adult female mite size in 30 trees in three forests near Belgrade, Serbia. In August, the infection severity of E. alphitoides related positively to the population density of S. garmani and negatively to the body size of S. garmani females. Throughout the vegetative season, the infection severity of E. alphitoides related positively to the population density of E. finlandicus but not to its body size. The effect of E. alphitoides on the population density and adult size of S. garmani was not mediated by the population density of E. finlandicus, and vice versa. Interactions were consistent in all forests and varied with the summer month. Our findings indicate that E. alphitoides can influence the average body size and population densities of prey and predatory mites studied, irrespective of predator-prey relationships.

Life history of Sternaspis costata (Sternaspidae: Polychaeta) in Ariake Bay, Japan

2015 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenji Yoshino ◽  
Manato Nagayoshi ◽  
Masanori Sato ◽  
Toshiya Katano ◽  
Yuji Ito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Ovigerous Female ◽  
Reproductive Period ◽  
The Other ◽  
Adult Size ◽  
Ariake Bay ◽  
History Of

The life history of the Japanese sternaspid polychaeteSternaspis costatavon Marenzeller, 1879 was investigated in the inner part of Ariake Bay from May 2010 to May 2011, with additional sampling in July and September 2011. All the worms were measured by the width of the ventral shield (WS) as an indicator of body size, and their coelomic contents were also examined. Ovigerous females occurred throughout the year, except during October and March, with the highest ovigerous rate (number of ovigerous females/number of adults with a WS larger than that of the smallest ovigerous female, i.e. 1.8 mm) noted in September (43.8% in 2010, 34.7% in 2011). The ovigerous rate was less than 10% in the other months, except in April 2011 (30%). Although the coelomic oocytes ranged from 90 to 160 μm in diameter, the diameters of most of the oocytes were 140–160 μm in September. The number of adults drastically decreased from September to October, suggesting that most of the adults died after spawning in the major reproductive period, although a small fraction of adults seemed to reproduce earlier or later. A cohort of recruits with an approximately 1.2 mm WS was identified in March and April. Most of the recruits grew to adult size in July–September, when many ovigerous females occurred. These results indicated that this species is fundamentally semelparous, with longevity around 1 year, and they mostly reproduce in September, with a few adults reproducing almost throughout the year.

Life history and ecology of the elegant snake-eyed skink (Cryptoblepharus pulcher) in south-eastern Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
David A. Pike ◽  
Elizabeth A. Roznik ◽  
Jonathan K. Webb ◽  
Richard Shine
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
The Body ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Tropical Environments ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Taxonomic Changes ◽  
Gravid Females ◽  
Incubation Temperatures

Detailed information on life history and ecology is essential for successful conservation and management. However, we have relatively little detailed data on the life history and ecology of most small lizard species, relative to other vertebrates, especially those that have undergone recent taxonomic changes. We studied the ecology of the elegant snake-eyed skink (Cryptoblepharus pulcher), a lizard that occurs on trees, fences, walls, and rock outcroppings in eastern Australia that spans temperate to tropical environments. In our temperate-zone study population living in natural habitat, individuals are active year-round, and gravid females were found during the months of September through December. Sexual maturity is reached in 12 months, lifespan is at least three years, and clutch size is typically two eggs. In laboratory incubation experiments, larger eggs were more likely to hatch. Low incubation temperatures (averaging 23 ± 7.5°C versus high temperatures averaging 26 ± 7.5°C) increased incubation duration significantly (range 56–72 days versus 40–51 days) and reduced the body size of hatchlings significantly (17.8 mm versus 18.7 mm snout–vent length). Skinks sheltered beneath small rocks that were not shared simultaneously with predatory snakes, and that reached average temperatures that were up to 3°C warmer during the day than unused rocks. Preferred microhabitats include substrates of rock or soil, and the largest rocks were occasionally shared by up to four individuals of all body size/sex combinations (5.8% of observations were shared, 30.2% of individual rocks were shared). Our study expands upon knowledge of the widespread genus Cryptoblepharus by providing detailed life history and ecological information on C. pulcher that can serve as a baseline for future studies.

Life history and larval density of Cheumatopsyche digitata Mosely (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) in Opa Reservoir spillway, Ile-Ife, southwestern Nigeria

Zoosymposia ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 401-407
Author(s):  
SYLVESTER OGBOGU ◽  
WILLIAMS ADU
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Larval Instar ◽  
Larval Density ◽  
Adult Emergence ◽  
Head Capsule ◽  
Southwestern Nigeria ◽  
Growth Ratio ◽  
Head Capsule Width ◽  
Site Density

The life history and density of Cheumatopsyche digitata Mosely (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) were examined below Opa Reservoir in Ile-Ife, southwestern Nigeria. This caddisfly is the only species that occurs immediately below the impoundment auxiliary spillway where it closely associates with an aquatic bryophyte, Fontinalis sp. We collected larvae every month between July 2004 and June 2005 as long as larvae were available in the study site. The instar growth ratio was fairly constant and ranged from 1.198 to 1.402 (mean ± standard error = 1.285 ± 0.073) but mean head capsule width increased with larval development. The frequency distribution of head capsule width of larvae clustered into 5 size classes, suggesting 5 larval instars for C. digitata in the study site. Density of larvae ranged from 1,100 to 11,150 inds.m-2 (mean ± SE = 6739  inds.m-2 ± 3904.70), the highest densities occurring in October 2004 during the bloom of Fontinalis. The first larval instar appeared in July 2004. Adult emergence occurred mainly in December 2004 through January 2005 at the onset of reservoir draw-down and death of Fontinalis. These patterns indicate that C. digitata tended to show a univoltine life cycle in the study site.

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