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Manipulation of parasitoid size using the temperature-size rule: fitness consequences

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Abstract

The phenotypic effects of rearing temperature on several fitness components of the koinobiont parasitoid, Aphidius colemani, were examined. Temperatures experienced during development induced a plastic linear response in the dry and fat masses of the immature stage and a non-linear response in the growth rate as well as in the size of adults. We investigated if the phenotypic morphometrical plasticity exhibited by parasitoids reared at different temperatures can induce variations in fitness-related traits in females. We did not find any difference in immature (pupal) mortality in accordance to rearing temperature. However, when examining adult longevity, we found an inverse linear relation with developmental temperature, confirming the usual rule that larger and fatter wasps live longer than smaller ones. The pattern of female fecundity was non-linear; wasps that developed at high and low temperatures were less productive. We suggest that when development is short, the accumulated reserves are not adequate to support both fecundity and survival. By manipulating adult size through changes in the rearing temperature, we showed that the usual shape of the size/fitness function is not always linear as expected. Developmental temperature induced a plasticity in energy reserves which affected the functional constraints between survival and reproduction.

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Acknowledgements

We sincerely thank J. Ellers, D. Giron and N. Ris for very constructive comments on the manuscript. We are also grateful to P. Baret and C. Salin for useful helps. This study was supported by “Ministère de la Région wallonne – DGTRE Division de la Recherche et de la Coopération scientifique.” FIRST EUROPE Objectif 3. This paper is BRC109 of the Biodiversity Research Centre. The experiments comply with the current laws of the country in which they were performed.

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  1. Unité d’Écologie et de Biogéographie, Biodiversity Research Centre, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du sud 4-5, 1348, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium

    H. Colinet & Th. Hance

  2. Centre de Recherche et de Développement en Horticulture, Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada, 430 Boulevard Gouin, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC, Canada, J3B 3E6

    G. Boivin

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  1. H. Colinet
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Correspondence to H. Colinet.

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Communicated by Thomas Hoffmeister.

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Colinet, H., Boivin, G. & Hance, T. Manipulation of parasitoid size using the temperature-size rule: fitness consequences. Oecologia 152, 425–433 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-007-0674-6

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