2016
DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3654-x
|View full text |Cite
|
Sign up to set email alerts
|

A dark cuticle allows higher investment in immunity, longevity and fecundity in a beetle upon a simulated parasite attack

Abstract: Cuticle melanism in insects is linked to a number of life history traits: a positive relationship is hypothesized between melanism, immune function, fecundity and lifespan. However, it is not clear how activation of the immune system affects trade-offs between life history traits in female mealworm beetles (Tenebrio molitor) differing in cuticle melanization. The females with tan, brown and black cuticles examined in the present study did not differ in the intensity of encapsulation response, fecundity and lon… Show more

Help me understand this report

Search citation statements

Order By: Relevance

Paper Sections

Select...
3
1
1

Citation Types

0
23
0
1

Year Published

2017
2017
2024
2024

Publication Types

Select...
8

Relationship

0
8

Authors

Journals

citations
Cited by 28 publications
(25 citation statements)
references
References 101 publications
0
23
0
1
Order By: Relevance
“…Understanding colour production mechanisms may also reveal potential non-visual functions. For example, finding eumelanin in spiders hints at functions like photoprotection (Brenner and Hearing, 2008), microbial resistance (Justyn et al, 2017;Krams et al, 2016) and mechano-enhancement of cuticle sclerization (Riley, 1997). Similarly, Nephila's golden web is sometimes hypothesized to attract insects to webs through visual cues (Craig et al, 1996).…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Understanding colour production mechanisms may also reveal potential non-visual functions. For example, finding eumelanin in spiders hints at functions like photoprotection (Brenner and Hearing, 2008), microbial resistance (Justyn et al, 2017;Krams et al, 2016) and mechano-enhancement of cuticle sclerization (Riley, 1997). Similarly, Nephila's golden web is sometimes hypothesized to attract insects to webs through visual cues (Craig et al, 1996).…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…This supports a view of microevolutionary independence between larval coloration and fitness‐related growth performance in this species. Although growth performance should provide a satisfactory correlate of fitness for insects like E. atomaria (see Methods), the possibility nevertheless remains that fitness costs of certain coloration traits would appear in specific conditions, in the case of immune challenge in particular (Krams et al ., ). Further research on coloration of lepidopteran larvae should address also this possibility.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 95%
“…Our data thus question the validity of studies that link personality and immune parameters only in non‐challenging conditions without any assessment of the overall capacity of the individual to survive infections (see also Krams et al . ).…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 97%