The ontogenetic switch between odonate life history stages: effects on fitness when time and food are limited

Citation
S. Plaistow et Mt. Siva-jothy, The ontogenetic switch between odonate life history stages: effects on fitness when time and food are limited, ANIM BEHAV, 58, 1999, pp. 659-667
Citations number
54
Categorie Soggetti
Animal Sciences","Neurosciences & Behavoir
Journal title
ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR
ISSN journal
00033472 → ACNP
Volume
58
Year of publication
1999
Part
3
Pages
659 - 667
Database
ISI
SICI code
0003-3472(199909)58:<659:TOSBOL>2.0.ZU;2-2
Abstract
During the course of ontogeny, odonates switch from being aquatic larvae to being terrestrial adults. Ontogenetic niche shift theory proposes that suc h shifts are adaptive and have evolved to maximize a growth rate (size) to mortality rate ratio. Individuals should therefore switch from one niche to the other at an optimal size or state. Since the majority of odonates are seasonal breeders, the extent to which the switch is optimal will depend up on the time and the resources available during postembryonic development. W e collected a cohort of larvae that varied in how close they were to eclosi on and reared them on either a high-nutrition or a low-nutrition diet. We t hen determined the relative influence of both time and nutritional constrai nts on survival and development rate, as well as the body size, size-correc ted flight muscle mass and fat reserves of individuals at eclosion. Damself lies in both high- and low-nutrition treatments responded to a short develo pment period by developing faster and reducing their body size, but did not change their proportional investment in fat reserves and flight muscle. Re duced larval nutrition resulted in decreased body size, flight muscle mass and fat reserves at eclosion. However, it had no effect on survival to eclo sion, or development rate. We discuss these results in terms of the influen ce that time and nutritional constraints have on odonate development patter ns and fitness. (C) 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.