Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The process of adaptation of flour beetles to new environments

  • Published:
Genetica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Five populations derived from a composite, genetically heterogeneous strain of the flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, were selected on new diets (dog food, powdered rice, brewers' yeast, wheat flour and oats) for 13–16 generations. A control population was reared on the standard medium (flour + 5% brewers' yeast). Adaptedness was measured in terms of (1) fitness parameters (survival and developmental time), (2) amylase activity levels (amylase is an essential digestive enzyme in flour beetles) and (3) food preference behavior.

There were significant temporal trends in fitness components in the selected populations. Survival was initially low but increased with time. Developmental time decreased in later generations of selection. The control population showed the smallest increase in survival and no decrease in developmental time. When tested at the end of the experiment, survival to adulthood of eggs from each selected population on its selective diet was higher than that of control eggs. On the standard medium, no differences in survival among populations were detected. These results suggest that the improvement in fitness may indicate adaptation to the new environments created by the different food media.

Amylase activity also increased temporally in 4 selected populations but not in the control (nor on unenriched wheat flour). Tests at the end of the experiment, however, suggest that this increase was, in large part, environmentally induced. We found no evidence that an adaptive genetic change in amylase regulation took place.

There were no temporal trends in food-preference behavior during the selection process.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Appelbaum, S. W. & Konijn, A. M., 1965. The utilization of starch by larvae of the flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. J. Nutr. 85: 275–282.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ayala, F. J., 1969. An evolutionary dilemma: fitness of genotypes versus fitness of populations. Can. J. Genet. Cytol. 11: 439–456.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beranek, A. P., 1974. Esterase variation and organophosphate resistance in populations of Aphis fabae and Myzus persicae. Ent. exp. appl. 17: 129–142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bergerson, O., 1985. The process of adaptation of the flour beetle Tribolium to new environments, as a model of an evolutionary process. Ph. D. Thesis, Tel Aviv University (in Hebrew; Engl. summary).

  • Bergerson, O. & Wool, D., 1986. Genetic variation and the ability to colonize new niches (food media) in the flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Herbst.) (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae). Heredity 57: 403–406.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bergerson, O. & Wool, D., 1987. Attraction of flour beetles (Tribolium) to wheat flour: hertiable character or ‘conditioning’? Z. angew. Ent. 104: 179–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blackman, R. L., Devonshire, A. L. & Sawicki, R. M., 1977. Coinheritance of increased carboxylesterase activity and resistance to organophosphorous insecticides in Myzus persicae (Sulzer). Pestic. Sci. 8: 163–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernfeld, P., 1955. Amylases. In: S. P. Colowick & W. O. Kaplan (eds) ‘Methods in Enzymology’. Vol. 1: p. 149. Academic Press.

  • Bradshaw, A. D., 1971. Plant evolution in extreme environments. In: R., Creed (ed.) ‘Ecological genetics and evolution’. p. 20–50, Blackwell, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daly, K. & Clarke, B., 1981. Selection associated with the alcohol dehydrogenase locus in Drosophila melanogaster: differential survival of adults maintained on low concentrations of ethanol. Heredity 46: 219–226.

    Google Scholar 

  • David, J. R., Bocquet, C., Arens, M. F. & Fouillet, P., 1976. Biological role of alcohol dehydrogenase in the tolerance of Drosophila melanogaster to aliphatic alcohols: utilization of an ADH-null mutant. Biochem. Genet. 14: 989–997.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, P. S., 1965. Estimation of components of phenotypic variance for development rate in Tribolium. Heredity 20: 403–417.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, P. S., 1967. Developmental rate and competitive ability in Tribolium. II. Changes in competitive ability following further selection for developmental rate. Evolution 21: 292–299.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, P. S. & Riddle, R. A., 1983. Genetic variation, environmental heterogeneity and evolutionary stability. In: C. E. King & P. S. Dawson (eds), ‘Population Biology: retrospect and prospect.’ p. 147–170, Columbia University Press.

  • Dethier, V. G., 1954. Evolution of feeding preferences in phytophagous insects. Evolution 8: 33–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gartside, D. W. & McNeilly, T., 1974. Genetic studies in heavy metal tolerant plants. I. Genetics of zinc tolerance in Anthoxanthum odoratum. Heredity 32: 287–297.

    Google Scholar 

  • Georghiou, G. P. & Mellon, R. B., 1983. Pesticide resistance in time and space. In: G. P. Georghiou & T. Saito (eds), ‘Pest resistance to pesticides,’ p. 1–46, Plenum Press.

  • Georghiou, G. P. & Pasteur, N., 1978. Electrophoretic esterase patterns in insecticide-resistant and susceptible mosquitoes. J. econ. Entomol. 7: 201–205.

    Google Scholar 

  • Georghiou, G. P. & Pasteur, N., 1980. Organophosphate resistance and esterase pattern in a natural population of the southern house mosquito from California. J. econ. Entomol. 73: 489–492.

    Google Scholar 

  • Georghiou, G. P. & Taylor, C. E., 1976. Pesticide resistance as an evolutionary phenomenon. Proc. XVth Int. Cong. Entomology Wash. 759–786.

  • Hedrick, P. W. & McDonald, J. F., 1980. Regulatory gene adaptation: an evolutionary model. Heredity 45: 83–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kettlewell, H. B. D., 1961. The phenomenon of industrial melanism in the Lepidoptera. Ann. Rev. Entomol. 6: 245–262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kettlewell, H. B. D., 1973. The evolution of melanism in the Lepidoptera. Oxford.

  • Krimbas, C. B., 1984. On adaptation, Neo-Darwinian tautology and population fitness. Evol. Biol. 17: 1–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krishna, S. S. & Saxena, K. N., 1962. Digestion and absorption of food in Tribolium castaneum. Physiol. Zool. 35: 66–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewontin, R. C., 1965. Selection for colonizing ability. In: H. G. Baker & G. I. Stebbins (eds), ‘Genetics of colonizing species.’ p. 77–91.

  • Liu, E. H., Smith, M. H., Godt, M. J. W., Chesser, R. K., Lethco, A. K. & Henzler, D. J., 1985. Enzyme levels in natural mosquitofish populations. Physiol. Zool. 58: 242–252.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matsuo, Y. & Yamazaki, T., 1984. Genetic analysis of natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster in Japan. IV. Natural selection on the inducibility, but not on the structural genes, of amylase loci. Genetics 108: 879–896.

    Google Scholar 

  • McDonald, J. F., Chambers, G. K., David, J. & Ayala, F. J., 1977. Adaptive responses due to changes in gene regulation. A study with Drosophila. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74: 4562–4566.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKenzie, J. A. & Purvis, A., 1974. Chromosomal localization of fitness modifiers of Diazinon resistance genotypes of Lucilia cuprina. Heredity 53: 625–634.

    Google Scholar 

  • Park, T., Mertz, D. B., Grodzinsky, W. & Prus, T., 1965. Cannibalistic predation in populations of flour beetles. Physiol. Zool. 38: 289–321.

    Google Scholar 

  • Park, T., Mertz, D. B. & Holecek, H., 1974. Factors affecting the susceptibility of flour beetles pupae to cannibalism by adults. Physiol. Zool. 47: 266–272.

    Google Scholar 

  • Park, T., Mertz, D. B. & Nathanson, M., 1968. The cannibalism of pupae by adult flour beetles. Physiol. Zool. 41: 228–253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokal, R. R. & Rohlf, F. J., 1981. Biometry, 2nd ed. Freeman & Co., New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokoloff, A. 1974. The biology of Tribolium. Vol. II. Oxford, Clarendon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sverdlov, E. & Wool, D., 1975. Some aspects of survival of starved adult Tribolium castaneum (Herbst.) J. Stored Prod. Res. 11: 149–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van, Herrewege, J. & David, J. R., 1980. Dietary utilization of aliphatic alcohols by Drosophila. Experientia 36: 846–847.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, B., 1978. The adaptation of Drosophila virilis to life on an artificial crab. Am. Natur. 112: 971–973.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wool, D., 1969a. Differences in population parameters of two Tribolium castaneum strains in environments of different shapes. Res. Popul. Ecol. 11: 45–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wool, D., 1969 (b). The effect of larval age range on survival of two Tribolium castaneum strains in mixed cultures through pupae cannibalism. Res. Popul. Ecol. 11: 40–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wool, D., 1976. Changes of life-history stage distribution of single-strain and mixed Tribolium populations during a single generation at a lowered temperature (Coleoptra, Tenebrionidae). J. Anim. Ecol. 45: 381–394.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wool, D., 1984. Directional and correlated effects of selection on amylase activity, weight and developmental time in Tribolium confusum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae). Genetica 65: 173–178.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wool, D., 1986. Enzyme activity levels in individuals; selective value, overreaction and conditional neutrality. Evol. Theory 8: 39–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wool, D. & Bergerson, O., 1979. Analysis of selection processes using the incompletely-penetrant mutant eu of Tribolium castaneum. Can. J. Genet. Cytol. 21: 405–415.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wool, D., Namir, Z. & Bergerson, O., 1986. Dietary regulation of amylase activity levels in flour beetles (Tribolium: Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae). Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer. 79: 407–413.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wool, D. & Noiman, S., 1980. Amylase activity in adults and immatures of Tribolium confusum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae). Z. angew. Ent. 90: 382–390.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wool, D. & Shirtz, E., 1984. Selection for high and low amylase activity in adult flour beetles (Tribolium confusum). (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae). Genetica 63: 229–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wool, D. & Sverdlov, E., 1976. Sib-mating populations in an unpredictable environment: Effects on components of fitness. Evolution 30: 119–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wool, D. & Sverdlov, E., 1978. Temporal patterns of food availability and their effect on Tribolium populations. Res. Popul. Ecol. 20: 91–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, L., Bradshaw, A. D. & Thurmann, D. A., 1975. The potential for evolution of heavy metal tolerance in plants. III. The rapid evolution of copper tolerance in Agrostis tenuis. Heredity 34: 165–187.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israël

    O. Bergerson & D. Wool

Authors
  1. O. Bergerson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. Wool
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bergerson, O., Wool, D. The process of adaptation of flour beetles to new environments. Genetica 77, 3–13 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00058546

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00058546

Keywords

Search

Navigation