Phenotypic plasticity in response to food source in Triatoma infestans (Klug, 1834) (Hemiptera, Reduviidae: Triatominae)

Evidence of selection on phenotypic plasticity and cost of plasticity in response to host-feeding sources in the major Chagas disease vector Triatoma infestans

“…The direction of the phenotypic plasticity response was consistent with an allometric effect: the greater the wing size variation detected in bugs fed on pigeons, the greater the body length (Nattero et al, 2013). Other experimental studies showed that bugs fed on pigeons ingested larger quantities of blood than those fed on rodent hosts (Guarneri et al, 2000a, b;Nattero et al, 2011).…”

“…For head capsule size, diet-induced phenotypic plasticity showed bigger heads when bugs fed on guinea pigs rather than on pigeons in both sexes (Nattero et al, 2013). The negative direction of this response suggested a nonallometric effect of body size on head size and a re-allocation of resources to the head capsule in guinea pig-fed bugs.…”

“…The results of phenotypic plasticity on head size and shape during the ontogenetic trajectory for the individuals included in this experiment were reported elsewhere (Nattero et al, 2013). The methodology used for these analyses was similar to the ones described above for the assessment of wing phenotypic plasticity.…”

“…Host-feeding sources represent environments that are different enough as to influence development (e.g., Jorge et al, 2011;Laparie et al, 2010;Nattero et al, 2013). Functional arguments for the value of diet-induced selection on phenotypic plasticity in the morphological traits of T. infestans are based on experimental evidence showing variations in head capsule size along the ontogenetic trajectory (Nattero et al, 2013): adult bugs fed on guinea pigs exhibited larger head capsules and higher shape variation than those fed on pigeons.…”

“…Functional arguments for the value of diet-induced selection on phenotypic plasticity in the morphological traits of T. infestans are based on experimental evidence showing variations in head capsule size along the ontogenetic trajectory (Nattero et al, 2013): adult bugs fed on guinea pigs exhibited larger head capsules and higher shape variation than those fed on pigeons. This pattern may be related to differences in blood viscosity between avian and mammalian hosts during the process of blood ingestion in which the cibarial pump (i.e., a complex of muscles that nearly fill the head capsule) is involved.…”