Life history plasticity after attaining a dietary threshold for reproduction is associated with protein storage in flesh flies.

ABSTRACT: Body condition affects the timing and magnitude of life history transitions. Therefore, identifying proximate mechanisms involved in assessing condition is critical to understanding how these mechanisms affect the expression of life history plasticity. Nutrient storage is an important body condition parameter, likely playing roles in both attaining minimum body-condition thresholds for life history transitions and expression of life history traits.We manipulated protein availability for females of the flesh fly Sarcophaga crassipalpis to determine whether reproductive timing and output would remain plastic or become fixed. Liver was provided for 0, 2, 4, or 6 days of adult pre-reproductive development. Significantly, liver was removed after the feeding threshold had been attained and femal

SUBMITTER: Hahn DA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2752887 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature