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Prey availability in time and space is a driving force in life history evolution of predatory insects

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Abstract

Environmental constraints can be determinant key factors conditioning predator life history evolution. Prey seems to have conditioned life history evolution in their ladybird predator, with the predators of aphids apparently presenting faster development, greater fecundity and shorter longevity than species preying on coccids. However a rigorous comparison has never been done. We hypothesize that aphids and coccids differ by their developmental rate, abundance, and distribution in the field, which act as ecological constraints promoting life history evolution in ladybird predators. Field data reveal that aphids are ephemeral resources available in the form of large colonies randomly distributed in the habitat whereas coccids form smaller colonies that tend to be aggregated in space and available for longer periods. A comparison in laboratory conditions of two predatory species belonging to the tribe Scymnini (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) show that the aphidophagous species lives at a faster pace than the coccidophagous: it develops faster, matures earlier, is more fecund, has a shorter reproductive life-span and allocate proportionally more fat in its gonads relative to soma. This indicates that the life histories of aphidophagous and coccidophagous ladybird predators appear to have evolved in response to particular patterns of prey availability in time and space. Under the light of these results, the existence of a slow-fast continuum in ladybirds is briefly addressed.

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Acknowledgments

I. B. was funded by a PhD grant (POCI 2010 and FSE) and by Programa Pessoa 2007/2008 France. A. O. S. was funded by Programa Pessoa 2007/2008 France. J.-L. H. was funded by a grant from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (EGIDE/Project Pessoa PAI 2007/2008 # 14714PG). The authors express their gratitude to Roberto Resendes for helping in the field work, to Rafael Arruda for assistance in the laboratory work, to Luis Silva for identifying plant host species, to J. A. Ilharco for aphid species identification, to Felipe Rámon-Portugal for assistance in fat content determination, and to Serviços Agrários for growing maize. Thanks are also due to Serviços Florestais de Ponta Delgada for allowing access to the study area. We thank J. P. Michaud for constructive comments on an earlier version of the manuscript and for improving the English.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, Apartado 1422, 9501-801, Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal

    Isabel Borges

  2. CIRN, Department of Biology, University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 13-A, 9501-801, Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal

    Isabel Borges & António Onofre Soares

  3. Azorean Biodiversity Group, CITA-A, University of the Azores, Terra-Chã, 9701–851, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal

    Isabel Borges & António Onofre Soares

  4. Université de Toulouse - ENFA, UMR CNRS 5174 «Évolution et diversité biologique», BP 22687, F-31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France

    Alexandra Magro & Jean-Louis Hemptinne

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  1. Isabel Borges
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  2. António Onofre Soares
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  4. Jean-Louis Hemptinne
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Correspondence to Isabel Borges.

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Borges, I., Soares, A.O., Magro, A. et al. Prey availability in time and space is a driving force in life history evolution of predatory insects. Evol Ecol 25, 1307–1319 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-011-9481-y

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