Dataset Information

Multidimensional plasticity in the Glanville fritillary butterfly: larval performance is temperature, host and family specific.

ABSTRACT: Variation in environmental conditions during development can lead to changes in life-history traits with long-lasting effects. Here, we study how variation in temperature and host plant (i.e. the consequences of potential maternal oviposition choices) affects a suite of life-history traits in pre-diapause larvae of the Glanville fritillary butterfly. We focus on offspring survival, larval growth rates and relative fat reserves, and pay specific attention to intraspecific variation in the responses (G × E × E). Globally, thermal performance and survival curves varied between diets of two host plants, suggesting that host modifies the temperature impact, or vice versa. Additionally, we show that the relative fat content has a host-dependent, discontinuous response to developmental temperature. This implies that a potential switch in resource allocation, from more investment in growth at lower temperatures to storage at higher temperatures, is dependent on the larval diet. Interestingly, a large proportion of the variance in larval performance is explained by differences among families, or interactions with this variable. Finally, we demonstrate that these family-specific responses to the host plant remain largely consistent across thermal environments. Together, the results of our study underscore the importance of paying attention to intraspecific trait variation in the field of evolutionary ecology.

SUBMITTER: Verspagen N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7779508 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Multidimensional plasticity in the Glanville fritillary butterfly: larval performance is temperature, host and family specific.

Verspagen Nadja N Ikonen Suvi S Saastamoinen Marjo M van Bergen Erik E

Proceedings. Biological sciences 20201216 1941

Variation in environmental conditions during development can lead to changes in life-history traits with long-lasting effects. Here, we study how variation in temperature and host plant (i.e. the consequences of potential maternal oviposition choices) affects a suite of life-history traits in pre-diapause larvae of the Glanville fritillary butterfly. We focus on offspring survival, larval growth rates and relative fat reserves, and pay specific attention to intraspecific variation in the respons ...[more]

PMID: 33323089

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Project description:We combined heritability analysis of larval development rate with a global expression analysis of this phenotype to investigate genotype by environment interactions across three ecologically relevant temperatures in the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia). We focused upon the development of final instar caterpillars which is greatly affected by temperature, and during this stage the caterpillars build up most of the resources for adult life. Second generation, lab reared larvae, initially collected from the Åland metapopulation, were reared in standard lab condition until 6th larval instar. At the beginning of the final (7th) instar stage the larvae were separated into of three temperature conditions: Cold treatment (temperature profile: 8°C 18:00-9:59, 14°C 10:00-11:59, 20°C 12:00-15:59 and 14°C 16:00-17:59) Standard treatment (temperature profile: 15°C 17:00-6:59, 18°C 7:00-8:59, 22°C 9:00-10:59 and 26°C 11:00-16:59) Hot treatment (temperature profile: 8°C 20:00-7:59, 15°C 8:00-9:59, 35°C 10:00-17:59 and 15°C 18:00-19:59) The temperature profiles mimic the diurnal thermal variation of the natural habitat (Åland islands) of samples. Cold treatment mimics a cool and cloudy summer, Standard represents an average temperature profile in the Åland islands and Hot treatment mimics an exceptionally hot and sunny summer, with cold night-time temperatures. The experiment contained several larval families (full-sib) of which three were selected for gene expression analysis. Samples were snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen during mid-development (after 6, 5 and 4 days, for Cold, Standard and Hot respectively). Additional larvae from the same treatments were assayed for survival and growth. Gene expression was analyzed using a mixed model approach to identify genes with potential heritable expression variation (variation among families), genes with plastic expression responses (treatment induced changes) and genes with treatment dependent expression that varies among families (family by treatment interactions).

Dataset Information

Multidimensional plasticity in the Glanville fritillary butterfly: larval performance is temperature, host and family specific.

Publications

Multidimensional plasticity in the Glanville fritillary butterfly: larval performance is temperature, host and family specific.

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