Extra molting and selection on nymphal growth in the desert locust
In insects, extra-molting has been viewed as a compensatory mechanism for nymphal growth that contributes to optimize body weight for successful reproduction. However, little is known on the capacity of extra-molting to evolve in natural populations, which limits our understanding of how selection acts on nymphal growth. We used a multi-generational pedigree, individual monitoring and quantitative genetics models to investigate the evolution of extra-molting and its impact on nymphal growth in a solitarious population of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. Growth compensation via extra-molting was observed for 46% of the females, whose adult weight exceeded by 4% that of other females, at a cost of a 22% longer development time. We found a null heritability for body weight threshold only, and the highest and a strongly female-biased heritability for extra molting. Our genetic estimates show that (1) directional selection can act on growth rate, development time and extra-molting to optimize body weight threshold, the target of stabilizing selection, (2) extra-molting can evolve in natural populations, and (3) a genetic conflict, due to sexually antagonistic selection on extra-molting, might prevent its fixation. Finally, we discuss how antagonistic selection between solitarious and gregarious environments and/or genetic correlations between growth and phase traits might also impact the evolution of extra-molting in locusts.
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | article biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | H10 - Ravageurs des plantes, L20 - Écologie animale, Schistocerca gregaria, génétique des populations, évolution, mutation, mue, croissance, héritabilité, développement biologique, surveillance des déprédateurs, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_31931, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_34326, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2745, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_5014, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_4957, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3394, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3570, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_921, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_37663, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_4660, |
| Online Access: | http://agritrop.cirad.fr/580606/ http://agritrop.cirad.fr/580606/1/journal.pone.0155736.PDF |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|