Abstract
Diapause allows insects to temporally avoid conditions that are unfavorable for development and reproduction. However, diapause may incur a cost in the form of reduced metabolic energy reserves, reduced potential fecundity, and missed reproductive opportunities. This study investigated a hitherto ignored consequence of diapause: trade-offs involving sequestered chemical defense. We examined the aristolochic acid defenses of diapausing and non-diapausing pipevine swallowtail butterflies, Battus philenor. Pipevine swallowtail larvae acquire these chemical defenses from their host plants. Butterflies that emerge following pupal diapause have significantly less fat, a female fitness correlate, compared to those that do not diapause. However, butterflies emerging from diapaused pupae are more chemically defended compared to those that have not undergone diapause. Furthermore, non-diapausing butterflies are confronted with older, lower quality host plants on which to oviposit. Thus, a trade-off exists where butterflies may have greater energy reserves at the cost of less chemical defense and sub-optimal food resources for their larvae, or have substantially less energetic reserves with the benefit of greater chemical defense and plentiful larval food resources.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
