Can multitrophic interactions shape morphometry, allometry, and fluctuating asymmetry of seed-feeding insects?

ABSTRACT: Body size is commonly associated with biological features such as reproductive capacity, competition, and resource acquisition. Many studies have tried to understand how these isolated factors can affect the body pattern of individuals. However, little is known about how interactions among species in multitrophic communities determine the body shape of individuals exploiting the same resource. Here, we evaluate the effect of fruit infestation, parasitism rate, and seed biomass on size, allometric and asymmetric patterns of morphological structures of insects that exploit the same resource. To test it, we measured 750 individuals associated with the plant Senegalia tenuifolia (Fabaceae), previously collected over three consecutive years. Negative allometry was maintained for all species, su

SUBMITTER: Oliveira TCT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7657534 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature