Viral exposure effects on life-history, flight-related traits, and wing melanisation in the Glanville fritillary butterfly.

ABSTRACT: Infections represent a constant threat for organisms and can lead to substantial fitness losses. Understanding how individuals, especially from natural populations, respond towards infections is thus of great importance. Little is known about immunity in the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia). As the larvae live gregariously in family groups, vertical and horizontal transmission of infections could have tremendous effects on individuals and consequently impact population dynamics in nature. We used the Alphabaculovirus type strain Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) and demonstrated that positive concentration-dependent baculovirus exposure leads to prolonged developmental time and decreased survival during larval and pupal development, with no sex s

SUBMITTER: Woestmann L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5971209 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May - Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature