Shifts in nutrient allocation in a gift-giving butterfly: a hidden consequence of water balance?

ABSTRACT: As climate change intensifies drought, understanding how animals maintain fitness under water stress is essential for predicting ecological resilience. Terrestrial animals use diverse behavioural and physiological strategies to avoid dehydration, yet the associated physiological and fitness costs remain poorly understood. Because water balance is tightly linked to nutrient acquisition and metabolism, mechanisms that enhance hydration may alter how animals allocate key macronutrients across vital functions. Here, we investigated how maintaining water balance - via increased water intake or reduced water loss - shapes nutrient allocation and trade-offs in the cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae), a species in which males transfer nutrient- and water-rich nuptial gifts to females during mat

SUBMITTER: Chabaud C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12863298 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature