Genetic correlation between behavioural traits in relation to death‐feigning behaviour

Abstract

Individuals frequently behave in a consistent manner across time or in different situations. We examined the repeatability of duration of death-feigning anti-predator behaviour when attacked, and then carried out artificial selection for duration to calculate its heritability and examine correlated responses to selection in activity levels, in the confused flour beetle, Tribolium confusum. Three replicates of two strains were established by artificial selection for more than 17 generations: S strains exhibited shorter duration and lower frequency of death feigning while L strains exhibited longer duration and higher frequency of death feigning. Duration of death feigning clearly responded to selection, and significant value of realized heritability was detected in all replicates of the two strains. Examination of locomotor activity levels over a constant period showed that S strains had higher locomotor activity levels than L strains. No significant differences between the sexes were observed. Our study thus demonstrates heritability of death feigning and the existence of a negative genetic correlation between intensity of death feigning and activity level.

Age‐dependent investment in death‐feigning behaviour in the sweetpotato weevil Cylas formicarius

“…In the present study, the duration of death‐feigning is positively correlated with female life span and male weight, although the correlation is not genetic but phenotypic. These results are consistent with previous studies on other beetle species at phenotypic levels (Hozumi & Miyatake, 2005; Ohno & Miyatake, 2007; Miyatake et al , 2008; Nakayama & Miyatake, 2009, 2010a, b, c). Specifically, the negative genetic correlation between death‐feigning and activity level could be responsible for the positive genetic correlations between death‐feigning and life‐history traits such as reproductive effort and life span.…”

“…Genetic correlations between the frequency and duration of death‐feigning and life‐history traits such as life span, emergence rate, body size, reproductive efforts and locomotor activities are documented in other beetle species, including the adzuki bean beetle Callosobruchus chinensis and red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Hozumi & Miyatake, 2005; Ohno & Miyatake, 2007; Miyatake et al , 2008; Nakayama & Miyatake, 2009, 2010a, b, c). In the present study, the duration of death‐feigning is positively correlated with female life span and male weight, although the correlation is not genetic but phenotypic.…”

“…Specifically, the negative genetic correlation between death‐feigning and activity level could be responsible for the positive genetic correlations between death‐feigning and life‐history traits such as reproductive effort and life span. In other words, weevils might conserve energy as a result of lower activity level and thus are able to invest more resources in life‐history traits (Hozumi & Miyatake, 2005; Nakayama & Miyatake, 2010a, c).…”

Correlated responses in death-feigning behavior, activity, and brain biogenic amine expression in red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum strains selected for walking distance

“…1 in Miyatake et al 2008a). In contrast, no sex difference in the duration of death-feigning was observed in T. confusum (Nakayama et al 2010) and Cylas formicarius (Miyatake 2001). …”

“…Although this result was expected, it is important that the findings of the present study suggest a genetic correlation between walking distance and locomotor activity. Previous studies have reported a trade-off between duration of death-feigning behavior and locomotor activity selected by artificial selection for duration of death-feigning in T. confusum and the adzuki bean beetle Callosobruchus chinensis (Nakayama and Miyatake 2010; Nakayama et al 2010). The results of the present study suggest that the relationship between the three behavioral traits (dispersal, death-feigning, and locomotor activity) are genetically correlated with each other.…”