Bulletin of Entomological Research

Table of Contents - 2010 - Volume 100, Issue 01  

Cambridge Journals Online - CUP Full-Text Page
Bulletin of Entomological Research (2010), 100:9-17 Cambridge University Press
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009
doi:10.1017/S0007485309006853

Research Paper

Parental crowding influences life-history traits in Locusta migratoria females

M.-P. Chapuisa1a2a3 p1 c1, L. Crespina1, A. Estoupa1, A. Augé-Sabatiera1, A. Foucarta3, M. Lecoqa3 and Y. Michalakisa2

a1 UMR Centre de Biologie et de Gestion des Populations (INRA/IRD/Cirad/Montpellier SupAgro), INRA, Campus international de Baillarguet, CS 30016, F-34988 Montferrier-sur-Lez cedex, France
a2 Génétique et Evolution des Maladies Infectieuses, UMR 2724 CNRS-IRD, IRD, 911 avenue Agropolis, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
a3 Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement Acridologie, TA A-50/D, F-34398, Montpellier, France
Article author query
chapuis mp [PubMed]  [Google Scholar]
crespin l [PubMed]  [Google Scholar]
estoup a [PubMed]  [Google Scholar]
augé-sabatier a [PubMed]  [Google Scholar]
foucart a [PubMed]  [Google Scholar]
lecoq m [PubMed]  [Google Scholar]
michalakis y [PubMed]  [Google Scholar]

Abstract

Parental environments could play an important role in controlling insect outbreaks, provided they influence changes in physiological, developmental or behavioural life-history traits related to fluctuations in population density. However, the potential implication of parental influence in density-related changes in life-history traits remains unclear in many insects that exhibit fluctuating population dynamics, particularly locusts. In this study, we report a laboratory experiment, which enabled us to characterize the life-history trait modifications induced by parental crowding of female individuals from a frequently outbreaking population of Locusta migratoria (Linnaeus) (Orthoptera: Acrididae). We found that a rearing history of crowding led to reduced female oviposition times and increased offspring size but did not affect the developmental time, survival, fecundity, and the sex-ratio and the number of offspring. Because all studied females were raised in a common environment (isolation conditions), these observed reproductive differences are due to trans-generational effects induced by density. We discuss the ecological and evolutionary implications of the observed density-dependent parental effects on the life-history of L. migratoria.

(Accepted December 17 2008)

(Online publication May 05 2009)

Key Words:controlled laboratory experiment; crowding; density-dependent polyphenism; life-history; locust; offspring quality; parental effects; outbreak; pest; reproductive timing

Correspondence:

c1 Author for correspondence Fax: +61 (02) 9351 4119 E-mail: chapuimp@supagro.inra.fr

p1 Current address: School of Biological Sciences, The Macleay Building A12, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia