Abstract
Comparative studies on insects can significantly contribute to understanding the evolution of lifespan, as the trait can feasibly be measured in a high number of species. If the evolutionary determinants of longevity were mainly extrinsic (ecological), related species from different habitats should systematically differ in individual lifespans. We recorded adult longevities for 110 species of geometrid moths from a tropical community and paralleled the lifespans in this tropical assemblage with a temperate counterpart. Comparative analyses using an original phylogenetic reconstruction revealed that in the studied tropical assemblage, larger moth species tended to live longer, and that females had slightly shorter lifespans than males. Average adult lifespans in tropical geometrids, and the relationships of lifespan with other variables, were found to be highly similar to those reported for their temperate region relatives. The among-region similarity leads to the conclusion that intrinsic (physiological) determinants of longevity dominate over extrinsic (ecological) ones: the contrasting environments of tropical and temperate forests have hardly produced differences in moth longevities.
Highlights
Longevity is certainly one of the most intensively studied life history traits
Comparative studies of insects can significantly contribute to understanding the evolution of lifespan, as the trait can feasibly be measured in a high number of species
Metabolic rate is commonly believed to constitute the link between body size and longevity, owing to the fact that larger organisms generally have slower metabolism (Kleiber’s law: e.g. McMahon 1973)
Summary
Longevity is certainly one of the most intensively studied life history traits. besides research on human longevity (Kirkwood 2005; Hulbert et al 2007; Aravinthan 2015; Beaulieu et al 2015; Ziegler et al 2015), studies of ageing have mostly focused on just a few other model organisms (Ricklefs 2008; Austad 2010; Jones et al 2014). We recorded adult longevities for 110 species of geometrid moths from a tropical community. We measured post-capture adult lifespan for 110 species of tropical geometrid moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae).
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