Diet-dependent reproductive investment in gumleaf skeletonizer moths, Uraba lugens

HT Phạm; KB McNamara; MA Elgar

Journal article

Diet-dependent reproductive investment in gumleaf skeletonizer moths, Uraba lugens

HT Phạm, KB McNamara, MA Elgar

Physiological Entomology | Wiley | Published : 2024

DOI: 10.1111/phen.12434

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Abstract

Juvenile diet can profoundly affect subsequent adult development, morphology and reproductive investment. Yet, little is known about how juvenile diet affects adult investment into chemical-based sexual signalling, perhaps due to the historical assumption that pheromone production is not costly. We explored how juvenile diet influenced the reproductive investment of adults in the gumleaf skeletonizer moth, Uraba lugens. Juveniles were reared on different host plant species (Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Eucalyptus moorei) and on E. moorei host plants with different fertilizer treatments (fertilized and non-fertilized). These juvenile diets differ in foliage carbon and nitrogen content. Severa..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Kathryn McNamara Author

Related Projects (1)

THE COSTS OF PHEREMONE PRODUCTION

This project seeks to answer fundamental questions in sexual selection theory. Chemical communication plays a fundamental role in mate choic..

Grants

Awarded by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government

Funding Acknowledgements

We thank Emile van Lieshout for sage statistical advice and for the financial support provided by the Holsworth Wildlife Endowment Fund and the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia Awards Scholarships) to H.T.P., and the Australian Research Council (DECRA Award DE160100097) to K.B.M. Open access publishing facilitated by The University of Melbourne, as part of the Wiley - The University of Melbourne agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.