Seasonal morphotypes of Drosophila suzukii differ in key life-history traits during and after a prolonged period of cold exposure.

ABSTRACT: Seasonal polyphenism in Drosophila suzukii manifests itself in two discrete adult morphotypes, the "winter morph" (WM) and the "summer morph" (SM). These morphotypes are known to differ in thermal stress tolerance, and they co-occur during parts of the year. In this study, we aimed to estimate morph-specific survival and fecundity in laboratory settings simulating field conditions. We specifically analyzed how WM and SM D. suzukii differed in mortality and reproduction during and after a period of cold exposure resembling winter and spring conditions in temperate climates. The median lifespan of D. suzukii varied around 5 months for the WM flies and around 7 months for the SM flies. WM flies showed higher survival during the cold-exposure period compared with SM flies,

SUBMITTER: Panel ADC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7487234 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature