Reproductive Rate (reproductive + rate)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Life Sciences

Kinds of Reproductive Rate

  • high reproductive rate
  • net reproductive rate


  • Selected Abstracts


    Threatened Peripheral Populations in Context: Geographical Variation in Population Frequency and Size and Sexual Reproduction in a Clonal Woody Shrub

    CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
    SARAH B. YAKIMOWSKI
    especies en riesgo; límites de distribución; poblaciones periféricas; reproducción sexual; Vaccinium stamineum Abstract:,Geographically peripheral populations of widespread species are often the focus of conservation because they are locally rare within political jurisdictions. Yet the ecology and genetics of these populations are rarely evaluated in a broader geographic context. Most expectations concerning the ecology and evolution of peripheral populations derive from the abundant-center model, which predicts that peripheral populations should be less frequent, smaller, less dense, and have a lower reproductive rate than central populations. We tested these predictions and in doing so evaluated the conservation value of peripheral populations for the clonal shrub Vaccinium stamineum L. (Ericaceae, deerberry), which is listed as threatened in Canada. Based on 51 populations sampled from the center to the northern range limits over 2 years, population frequency and size declined toward the range limit, but ramet density increased. Sexual reproductive output varied widely among populations and between years, with many populations producing very few seeds, but did not decline toward range margins. In fact seed mass increased steadily toward range limit, and this was associated with faster germination and seedling growth, which may be adaptive in seasonal northern environments. Our results did not support the prediction that clonal reproduction is more prevalent in peripheral populations or that it contributed antagonistically to the wide variation in seed production. Peripheral populations of V. stamineum are as productive as central populations and may be locally adapted to northern environments. This emphasizes the importance of a broad geographical perspective for evaluating the ecology, evolution, and conservation of peripheral populations. Resumen:,Las poblaciones geográficamente periféricas de una especie de amplia distribución a menudo son el foco de conservación porque son raras localmente dentro de jurisdicciones políticas. Sin embargo, la ecología y genética de estas poblaciones son evaluadas poco frecuentemente en un contexto geográfico más amplio. La mayoría de las expectaciones relacionadas con la ecología y evolución de las poblaciones periféricas se derivan del modelo centro-abundante, que predice que las poblaciones periféricas son menos frecuentes, más pequeñas, menos densas y menor tasa reproductiva que poblaciones centrales. Probamos estas predicciones y al hacerlo evaluamos el valor de conservación de poblaciones periféricas de una especie de arbusto clonal (Vaccinium stamineum L., Ericaceae), que está enlistada como amenazada en Canadá. Con base en 51 poblaciones muestreadas del centro hacia los límites norteños de su distribución durante 2 años, la frecuencia y tamaño poblacional declinó hacia los límites de su distribución, pero la densidad de rametos aumentó. La reproducción sexual varió ampliamente entre las poblaciones y entre años, con muchas poblaciones produciendo muy pocas semillas, pero no declinó hacia los límites de su distribución. De hecho, la masa de semillas incrementó sostenidamente hacia los límites, y esto se asoció a una acelerada germinación y crecimiento de plántulas, lo cual puede ser adaptativo en ambientes norteños estacionales. Nuestros resultados no sustentaron la predicción de que la reproducción clonal es más prevaleciente en poblaciones periféricas o que contribuye antagónicamente a la amplia variación en la producción de semillas. Las poblaciones periféricas de V. stamineum son tan productivas como las poblaciones centrales y pueden estar adaptadas localmente a ambientes norteños. Esto enfatiza la importancia de una perspectiva geográfica amplia cuando se evalúa la ecología, evolución y conservación de poblaciones periféricas. [source]


    Life table and heat tolerance of Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in subtropical Taiwan

    ENTOMOLOGICAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2008
    Wei-Nung LU
    Abstract The effect of temperature on the life table of Acyrthosiphon pisum reared on Pisum sativum was evaluated under laboratory conditions using temperatures of 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35°C. The development time of juvenile A. pisum decreased with increasing temperature (from 21.3 days at 10°C to 4.7 days at 35°C). Adult longevity also decreased with increasing temperature (from 53.2 days at 10°C to 2.3 days at 35°C). Interestingly, 70% and 25% of A. pisum nymphs reared at 30°C and 35°C, respectively, successfully developed into adults. These temperatures have previously been considered unsuitable for A. pisum development. However, adult aphids reared at 30°C and 35°C failed to reproduce. Linear regression analysis revealed that the lower development threshold of A. pisum was 153.1 degree-days above 1.9°C. Maximal average reproductive capability was observed at 10°C for A. pisum adults, with each adult producing more than 120 nymphs. The intrinsic rate of increase (rm) of A. pisum increased from 0.124/day at 10°C to 0.337/day at 25°C, whereas opposite trends were observed for the net reproductive rate (R0) and the mean generation time (GT). At 20°C and 25°C, the intrinsic rate of increase of A. pisum was significantly higher than at 10°C and 15°C (P < 0.0001), indicating that 20°C and 25°C are within the optimal range for the growth of A. pisum, and that 30°C is beyond the upper threshold limit for reproduction, which involves a temperature range that is narrower than that of the survival range (upper limit is unknown, but above 35°C). [source]


    Exposure of three generations of the estuarine sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus) to the androgen, 17,-trenbolone: Effects on survival, development, and reproduction

    ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 9 2010
    Geraldine M. Cripe
    Abstract Estimating long-term effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on a species is important to assessing the overall risk to the populations. The present study reports the results of a 42-week exposure of estuarine sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus) to the androgen, 17,-trenbolone (Tb) conducted to determine if partial-(F0) or single-generation (F1) fish exposures identify multigenerational (F0,F3) effects of androgens on fish. Adult F0 fish were exposed to 0.007, 0.027, 0.13, 0.87,and 4.1,µg Tb/L, the F1 generation to ,0.87,µg Tb/L, the F2 fish to ,0.13,µg Tb/L, and the F3 fish to ,0.027,µg Tb/L. The highest concentrations with reproducing populations at the end of the F0, F1, and F2 generations were 4.1, 0.87, and 0.027,µg Tb/L, respectively. Reproduction in the F0, F1, and F2 generations was significantly reduced at 0.87, 0.027, and 0.027,µg Tb/L, respectively. Fish were significantly masculinized in the F1 generation exposed to 0.13 µg Tb/L or greater. Female plasma vitellogenin was significantly reduced in F0 fish exposed to ,0.87,µg Tb/L. Gonadosomatic indices of the F0 and F1 generations were significantly increased at 0.87 and 0.13 µg Tb/L in the F0 and F1 generation, respectively, and were accompanied by ovarian histological changes. Reproduction was the most consistently sensitive measure of androgen effects and, after a life-cycle exposure, the daily reproductive rate predicted concentrations affecting successive generations. The present study provides evidence that a multiple generation exposure of fish to some endocrine-disrupting chemicals can result in developmental and reproductive changes that have a much greater impact on the success of a species than was indicated from shorter term exposures. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:2079,2087. © 2010 SETAC [source]


    A multivariate biomarker-based model predicting population-level responses of Daphnia magna

    ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 9 2003
    Wim M. De Coen
    Abstract A multivariate model is proposed relating short-term biomarker measurements in Daphnia magna to chronic effects (21-d exposure) occurring at the population level (time to death, mean brood size, mean total young per female, intrinsic rate of natural increase, net reproductive rate, and growth). The results of the short-term exposure (48h-96 h) to eight model toxicants (cadmium, chromium, mercury, tributyl tin, linear alkylsulfonic acid, sodium pentachlorophenolate, lindane, and 2,4-dichloro-phenoxyacetic acid) on the following biomarkers were used for the multivariate model: digestive enzymes (amylase, cellulase, ,-galactosidase, trypsin, and esterase), enzymes of the intermediary metabolism (glycogen phosphorylase, glucose-6-phosphate de-hydrogenase, pyruvate kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and isocitrate dehydrogenase), cellular energy allocation (CEA) (protein, carbohydrate, and lipid content and electron transport activity), and DNA damage and antioxidative stress activity. Using partial least squares to latent structures (PLS), a two-component model was obtained with R2 of 0.68 and a Q2 value of 0.60 based on the combined analysis of a limited number of the 48- and 96-h biomarker responses. For the individual population-level responses, the R2 values varied from 0.66 to 0.77 and the Q2 values from 0.52 to 0.69. Energy-related biomarkers (cellular energy allocation, lipid contents, anaerobic metabolic activity,pyruvate kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase), combined with parameters related to oxidative stress (catalase) and DNA damage measured after 48 and 96 h of exposure, were able to predict long-term effects at higher levels of biological organization. [source]


    Growth and reproduction of three cladoceran species from a small wetland in the south-eastern U.S.A.

    FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2003
    A. M. Lemke
    SUMMARY 1.,Growth, reproduction and life-history parameters were measured for three cladoceran species from a small south-eastern wetland, U.S.A. Simocephalus serrulatus, Diaphanosoma brachyurum and Scapholeberis mucronata juveniles were reared at temperatures between 10 and 25 °C on natural food resources. 2.,Growth rate increased with temperature and decreased with individual size for all three species. Maximum somatic growth rate was higher for Simocephalus (49,72% day,1) and Diaphanosoma (21,91% day,1) than for Scapholeberis (11,45% day,1). Multiple regression equations were developed which predict temperature- and mass-specific growth rates for each species. 3.,Scapholeberis egg production was positively related to temperature; however, maximum egg production occurred at intermediate temperatures for Simocephalus and Diaphanosoma. Mean cumulative egg production was higher for Scapholeberis (28,92 eggs per female) than for Simocephalus (18,25 eggs per female) and Diaphanosoma (1,41 eggs per female), and was related to differences in reproductive strategy and survival. 4.,Survival was inversely related to temperature in most cases. For all three cladocerans, the intrinsic rate of increase (r) and net reproductive rate (R0) increased with temperature, whereas generation time (G) decreased. Greater egg production by Scapholeberis compared with the other two cladocerans was consistent with higher R0 values for Scapholeberis at any given temperature. Although r was very similar among species, G was typically longer for Scapholeberis than for Simocephalus and Diaphanosoma. 5.,This analysis provides basic information about the population parameters of these coexisting wetland species, and the growth rate models can be applied to field data to determine production dynamics. [source]


    Effects of a toxicant on population growth rates: sublethal and delayed responses in blowfly populations

    FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2001
    S. J. MOE
    Summary 1,Previous studies have shown that cadmium exposure of blowfly populations (Lucilia sericata[Meigen 1826]) results in reduced population growth rate, but also in higher individual mass, because of reduced competition for food. In this study, the discrepancy between the positive effect on individual growth and the negative effect on population growth is investigated, by measuring direct and delayed effects of cadmium in the adult stage. 2,Blowfly populations were exposed to cadmium through the diet in four treatment combinations: larval stage, adult stage, both stages or neither stage. The effects on accumulation of cadmium, survival, development time, mass and reproductive rate were measured. 3,Cadmium was accumulated from both stages. 4,Individuals exposed to cadmium in the larval stage had higher mean pupal and adult mass (because of reduced densities), but also reduced adult longevity and fecundity. 5,Adult longevity and fecundity were also reduced by cadmium exposure in the adult stage. 6,In stage-structured populations, the link between individual-level and population-level responses to a toxicant may be complicated by stage-specific sensitivities to the toxicant, by delayed responses in the adult stage to sublethal effects in the juvenile stage, and by density-dependent compensatory responses to toxicant-induced mortality. [source]


    Is there a cost of reproduction for Marsh Tits Parus palustris in a primeval forest?

    IBIS, Issue 1 2006
    OWSKI TOMASZ
    We looked for evidence of a cost of reproduction in the Marsh Tit Parus palustris living in the last fragments of primeval temperate forest (Bia,owie,a National Park, eastern Poland). Potential nest-holes were superabundant but the birds had to cope with a diverse set of predators, dangerous both to broods and to parents. Taking advantage of the natural variation in realized reproductive investment that this caused in terms of the loss of nests or mates, we expected to find differences in survival and future fecundity between birds which had lost broods (reduced effort), had reared young (controls) or were either provisioning young single-handed or had laid replacement clutches (increased effort). Despite 13 years of observation, even during seasons with very strenuous conditions, we have failed to demonstrate that the observed range of variation in parental investment caused any demographic cost of reproduction. Incubating females were regularly killed on the nest, which could indicate the existence of a cost operating in the earlier stages of the breeding cycle. Overall, these results suggest that the reproductive rate in Marsh Tits is not controlled proximately by reproductive cost. [source]


    EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE ON CERTAIN POPULATION PARAMETERS OF LIRIOMYZA SATIVAE BLAN-CHARD (DIPTERA: AGROMYZIDAE)

    INSECT SCIENCE, Issue 2 2000
    ZHANG Run-jie
    Abstract, Effects of temperature on population parameters and the intrinsic rate of natural increase of the leafminer, Liriomyza sativae Blanchard, were studied at constant temperatures, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 3593 80% RH and a photoperiod of 12:12 (L:D) in the laboratory with Phaseolus vulgaris as the host plant. Developmental time of the immature stage decreased from 38 d at 15C to lld at 3593 Regression equations relating temperature (t) to development rates (y) for egg, larval and pupal stages, were y = 1.7862t - 13.841, y = 1.162t - 4.946 and y= 0.634t - 5.146, respectively. Longevity of female adult decreased from 20 d at 15°C to 9 d with temperature up to 35C The most favorable temperature range for reproduction was 20°C - 30oC in which the fecundity ranged from 158 to 282 eggs per female. The lowest total mortality was 9% at 25oC and the highest was 49% at 35 93 High intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm) was 0.27 and high net reproductive rate (R0) was 116.8 at temperature range between 25 t and 30 t indicating that this range was optimal for population growth and that population density might increase 117 times per generation under this temperature condition. Mean generation time (T) and time for population to double (t) decreased as temperature increased, showing a negative linear trend with temperature. The relationship between finite rate of increase (A) and temperature, however, was a positive linear regression. [source]


    Ontogenetic Shifts in the Ability of the Cladoceran, Moina macrocopa Straus and Ceriodaphnia cornuta Sars to Utilize Ciliated Protists as Food Source

    INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF HYDROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2008
    Ram Kumar
    Abstract The ontogenetic diet shifts and age specific ability of the two cladoceran species Moina macrocopa and Ceriodaphnia cornuta to derive energy from ciliated protists have been investigated in laboratory. The postembryonic developmental rates and life table demography (longevity, age and size at first reproduction, fecundity and intrinsic rate of natural increase) of the cladocerans have been elucidated on algae (Chlorella vulgaris) and the ciliated protists (Tetrahymena pyriformis, Colpoda (c.f.) steini) as food. For either of the cladoceran, the somatic growth rate and average body size at first reproduction were higher with algal diet. During initial stages of development (0,5 days), either cladoceran realized higher rate of somatic growth on algal diet, subsequently ciliated protists supported significantly higher growth rate than the alga. Algal and ciliate diets did not differ in maximum body size (C. cornuta: 539,554 ,m; M. macrocopa: 1274.8,1309 ,m) reached by either of the cladocerans. The maximum body sizes were larger than size at first reproduction with either of the ciliated protists, however, with algal diet the maximum body sizes did not differ from the size at first reproduction in each case. In case of C. cornuta the generation time (20.5 ± 0.3 days on ciliate; 15.6 ± 0.17 days on algal diet), reproductive rates (net reproductive rate: 20.05 ± 3.2 on ciliate; 15.5 ± 1.2 on algal diet), and average life expectancy at hatching (27 ± 0.8 days on ciliate; 22.7 ± 0.71 days on alga) were higher, whereas the size at first reproduction (482 ,m on ciliate; 521 ,m on alga) was smaller with the ciliate than with an algal diet. The algal and the ciliate diets did not differ in survival (life expectancy at hatching: 9.2 ± 0.7 days) and fecundity (NRR: 23.6 ± 2.4) for M. macrocopa. The two ciliates used in the experiment did not differ in their performance as food source for either cladoceran species. Our results suggest that both the cladoceran species are able to utilize smaller ciliate (e.g., T. pyriformis, C. (c.f.) steini) as food; however with differential ability to derive energy from the ciliate diet and this ability is size and age structured in both cases. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


    Comparing fecundity in parthenogenetic versus sexual populations of the freshwater snail Campeloma limum: is there a two-fold cost of sex?

    INVERTEBRATE BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2009
    Lisa T. Crummett
    Abstract. The predominance of sexuality in eukaryotes remains an evolutionary paradox, given the "two-fold cost of sex" also known as the "cost of males." [Correction added after online publication 29 January 2009: in the preceding sentence, extraneous words were deleted.] As it requires two sexual parents to reproduce and only one parthenogenetic parent, parthenogens should have twice the reproductive rate compared with their sexual counterparts and their genes should spread twice as fast, if all else is equal. Yet, parthenogenesis is relatively rare and considered an evolutionary dead-end, while sexuality is the dominant form of reproduction in multicellular eukaryotes. Many studies have explored short-term benefits of sex that could outweigh its two-fold cost, but few have compared fecundity between closely related sexuals and parthenogens to first verify that "all else is equal" reproductively. We compared six fecundity measures between sexual and parthenogenetic populations of the freshwater snail, Campeloma limum, during a brooding cycle (1 year) across two drainages. Drainages were analyzed separately because of a significant drainage effect. In the Savannah drainage, fecundity was not significantly different between sexuals and parthenogens, even though parthenogens had significantly more empty egg capsules per brood. In the Ogeechee drainage, parthenogens had significantly more egg capsules with multiple embryos and more hatched embryos than sexuals. Taken over 1 year, embryo size was not significantly different between parthenogens and sexuals in either drainage. Given these results and the close proximity of sexual and parthenogenetic populations, it is perplexing why parthenogenetic populations have not completely replaced sexual populations in C. limum. [source]


    Selective harvest of sooty shearwater chicks: effects on population dynamics and sustainability

    JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2005
    CHRISTINE M. HUNTER
    Summary 1Selectivity of harvest influences harvest sustainability because individuals with different characteristics contribute differently to population growth. We investigate the effects of selection based on chick weight on a traditional harvest of the sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus by Rakiura Maori in New Zealand. 2We develop a periodic stage-structured matrix population model and incorporate seasonal harvest of three weight classes of chicks. Intensity and selectivity of harvest are defined in terms of weight-specific hazard functions. 3We investigate the effect of harvest intensity and selectivity on population growth rate, ,, and the chick exploitation rate, E. We also consider the interaction of chick harvest and adult mortality. 4, decreases and E increases as harvest intensity increases. At low harvest intensities, selection has little effect on ,. At high harvest intensities, , increases as selectivity increases because of the non-linear relationship between harvest intensity and the probability of being harvested. 5, is determined almost completely by E, irrespective of the combination of harvest selectivity and intensity producing E. This is true for both general patterns of selectivity and specific patterns estimated from empirical data. 6The elasticities of ,, the net reproductive rate and the generation time are unaffected by selectivity and show only small responses to harvest intensity. 7Adult sooty shearwaters are killed as bycatch in long-line and driftnet fisheries. Such mortality of adults has an effect on , about 10-fold greater than an equivalent level of chick harvest. 8The sustainability of any combination of chick harvest and adult mortality depends on the resulting reduction in ,. We explore these results in relation to indices of sustainability, particularly the United States Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) standards. [source]


    Diet reconstruction and historic population dynamics in a threatened seabird

    JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2007
    D. RYAN NORRIS
    Summary 1For the overwhelming majority of species, we lack long-term information on the dynamics of populations. As a consequence, we face considerable uncertainty about how to discriminate among competing hypotheses of population decline and design conservation plans. 2The marbled murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus is a small seabird that nests in coastal old-growth forest but feeds year-round in near-shore waters of the north-eastern Pacific. Although a decline in nesting habitat is the primary reason why marbled murrelets are listed as threatened in Canada, nest predation and food availability may also influence population abundance. To examine the hypothesis that murrelet populations are influenced by variation in diet quality, we analysed stable-carbon and -nitrogen isotopes in feathers of museum specimens collected in the Georgia Basin, British Columbia. 3Between 1889 and 1996, we found a decline in stable isotopic signatures that was approximately equal to a 62% drop in trophic feeding level. We also found that the estimated proportion of fish in murrelet diet was related closely to murrelet abundance over the past 40 years, as estimated from volunteer surveys. Using these isotopic data, we modelled population size as a function of variation in reproductive rate due to changes in diet quality and found that our model matched closely the 40-year field estimates. We then applied our 107-year isotopic record to the model to back-cast estimates of population growth rate to 1889. 4Our results suggest that, up to the 1950s, murrelet populations in the Georgia Basin were capable of growing and were probably limited by factors other than diet quality. After this period, however, our results imply that murrelets were often, but not solely, limited by diet quality. 5Synthesis and applications. Protecting nesting habitat may not be sufficient to rebuild populations of this highly secretive and threatened seabird and recovery might also require the restoration of marine habitat quality, as well as a better understanding of how ocean climate affects prey abundance and reproductive rate. Combined with contemporary demographic data, stable isotope analysis of historic samples provides a unique opportunity to reconstruct population histories for species where we lack long-term information. [source]


    Interactions between nutrient status and weevil herbivory in the biological control of water hyacinth

    JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2000
    Tim A. Heard
    Summary 1.,Despite the widespread release of effective biocontrol agents, water hyacinth remains the world's most problematic aquatic weed, particularly in eutrophic waterbodies. However, understanding of the interaction between control and trophic status is still incomplete. 2.,Growth of water hyacinth plants was measured at two water nutrient concentrations (high and medium) and in the presence and absence of two insect biocontrol agents in a large circulating hydroponic system in a glasshouse. 3.,At the high nutrient concentration (1·6 mg l,1 N and 1·0 mg l,1 P), plants multiplied more quickly, attaining greater biomass. Both insect species reduced plant growth at both nutrient concentrations. Neochetina bruchi, however, performed better than N. eichhorniae at the high nutrient concentration by inflicting more damage on the plants and reducing biomass by a greater extent. 4.,Insect damage reduced the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus found in plants growing in high nutrient water but not in medium nutrient water (0·4 mg l,1 N and 0·025 mg l,1 P). 5.,The developmental and reproductive performance of N. bruchi was determined at both nutrient concentrations. Water hyacinth plants grown at higher nutrient concentration were superior hosts to N. bruchi than plants grown at medium concentrations. Net reproductive rate and intrinsic rate of increase were significantly greater at the high concentrations. Greater damage by N. bruchi to water hyacinth at the high nutrient concentration was due to the greater production of offspring, and hence greater larval damage. 6.,We predict that water hyacinth problems will be greater in eutrophic waterbodies, where N. bruchi will be a superior biocontrol agent to N. eichhorniae. In low-nutrient waterbodies, local nutrient enrichment of water may assist the establishment of control agents. These results illustrate the importance of wider ecological factors on the success of biological control. [source]


    Implications of phenotypic variation of Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) for biological control on greenhouse pepper plants

    JOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 7 2009
    D. R. Gillespie
    Abstract Variation in vulnerability to natural enemies, reproductive rate and insecticide resistance among phenotypes of Myzus persicae (Sulzer) has been shown to have the potential to disrupt biological control and IPM of this species, and movement of particularly troublesome phenotypes in international horticultural trade could be cause for concern. Three important components of fitness, vulnerability to parasitoids, reproduction and insecticide resistance were determined in three clones of M. persicae originating from prevalent phenotype populations on pepper crops in greenhouses in British Columbia, Canada. One of these phenotypes appeared to be consistently involved in outbreaks in commercial operations. These clones were also characterized for their DNA microsatellite genotype and compared with genotypes of M. persicae from Europe. The clone involved in outbreaks in commercial greenhouses showed reduced vulnerability to parasitoids, and a higher reproductive rate compared to the other two clones suggesting that these traits may have been involved in outbreaks. As in M. persicae European clones, a higher reproductive rate was correlated with a lack of esterase-based resistance (primarily to organophosphates and, to some extent, to carbamates and pyrethroids). However, microsatellite analysis demonstrated that the three clones investigated in British Columbia had unique genotypes, and therefore there was no evidence for their movement in international trade. [source]


    Effect of eggplant transformed with oryzacystatin gene on Myzus persicae and Macrosiphum euphorbiae

    JOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2006
    A. P. O. Ribeiro
    Abstract:, The effect of a genetically modified eggplant line expressing oryzacystatin on Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas) was examined. The transgenic eggplant reduced the net reproductive rate (R0), the instantaneous rate of population increase (r), and the finite rate of population increase (,) of both aphids species compared with a control eggplant line. The mean generation time (T) of the aphids was unaffected by the transgenic plants. Age-specific mortality rates of M. persicae and M. euphorbiae were higher on transgenic plants. These results indicate that expression of oryzacystatin in eggplant has a negative impact on population growth and mortality rates of M. persicae and M. euphorbiae and could be a source of plant resistance for pest management of these aphids. [source]


    Fertility life table of Trichogramma pretiosum (Hym., Trichogrammatidae) in eggs of Tuta absoluta and Phthorimaea operculella (Lep., Gelechiidae) at different temperatures

    JOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 9-10 2000
    D. Pratissoli
    The development cycle and the parasitization capacity of this parasitoid was determined in order to calculate the net reproductive rate (Ro), the infinitesimal increase ratio (rm), the finite increase rate (,) and the mean duration of the generation (T). The mean duration of one generation of T. pretiosum kept on both eggs was observed to show an inverse relation with the increase of temperature. The net reproduction rate varied according to the temperature variation for both species. The maximum increase in capacity of T. pretiosum on the first host (T. absoluta) was reached at 22°C and on the second host (P. operculella) between 22 and 25°C. The infinitesimal increase rate and the finite increase rate for both moths had a relationship with the increase of temperature ranging from 18 to 30°C. The highest value of , for both moths occurred at 30 and 32°C according to the lesser duration of a generation. [source]


    Influence of water extracts from the surface of two Yew (Taxus) species on mites (Tetranychus urticae)

    JOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY, Issue 2 2002
    Miroslawa Furmanowa
    Abstract Taxus cuspidata and Taxus media var. Hicksii contain paclitaxel, among other taxoids, on the surface of the needles. These compounds were removed by 5-s dipping of the needles in water just below its boiling point at 96°C and at 60°C and 40°C. Taxus cuspidata contained a fourfold higher concentration of paclitaxel than Taxus media var. Hicksii. The extract with the higher concentration of paclitaxel was more harmful to the mites Tetranychus urticae Koch, increasing their mortality 150%, prolonging development by ca. 20% and lowering the average fecundity from 112 in the control to 16.13 after treatment with Taxus cuspidata; also, the net reproductive rate dropped from 70.24 to 6.70, which is more than a tenfold reduction. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    The distribution,abundance (density) relationship: its form and causes in a tropical mammal order, Primates

    JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2005
    A. H. Harcourt
    Abstract Aim, Across a wide variety of organisms, taxa with high local densities (abundance) have large geographical ranges (distributions). We use primatology's detailed knowledge of its taxon to investigate the form and causes of the relationship in, unusually for macroecological analysis, a tropical taxon. Location, Africa, Central and South America, Asia, Madagascar. Methods, To investigate the form of the density,range relationship, we regressed local density on geographical range size, and also on female body mass, because in the Primates, density correlates strongly with mass. To investigate the biological causes of the relationship, we related (1) abundance (density × range size) and (2) residuals from the density,range regression lines to various measures of (i) resource use, (ii) reproductive rate and (iii) potential specialization. All data are from the literature. Analyses were done at the level of species (n = 140), genera (n = 60) and families/subfamilies (n = 17). We present various levels of results, including for all data, after omission of outlier data, after correction for phylogenetic dependence, and after Bonferroni correction of probabilities for multiple comparisons. Results, Regarding the form of the relationship, Madagascar primates are clear outliers (high densities in small ranges). Among the remaining three realms, the relation of density to range is weak or non-existent at the level of species and genera. However, it is strong, tight and linear at the level of families/subfamilies (r2 = 0.6, F1,10 = 19, P < 0.01). Although among primates, density is very significantly related to mass, at no taxonomic level is range size related to body mass. Consequently, removing the effects of mass makes little to no difference to density,range results. Regarding the biology of the relationship, only traits indicative of specialization are associated with abundance (meaning numbers): rare taxa are more specialized than are abundant taxa. The association is largely via range size, not density. Across families, no traits correlate significantly with the density,range relationship, nor with deviations from it, despite the strength of the relationship at this taxonomic level. Main conclusions, We suggest that in macroecology, analysis at taxonomic levels deeper than that of the relatively ephemeral species can be appropriate. We argue that the several purely methodological explanations for the positive density,range size relationship in primates can be rejected. Of the various biological hypotheses, those having to do with specialization,generalization seem the only applicable ones. The fact that the relationship is entirely via range size, not via density, means that while we might have a biology of range size, we do not yet have one of the density,geographical range relationship. It is probably time to search for multivariate explanations, rather than univariate ones. However, we can for the first time, for at least primates, suggest that any association of abundance or range size with specialization is via the number of different subtaxa, not the average degree of specialization of each subtaxon. The implication for conservation is obvious. [source]


    Why are very large herbivores absent from Australia?

    JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2000
    A new theory of micronutrients
    Abstract Aim We propose a Megacatalyst Theory, based on the pivotal role of the micronutrients iodine (I), cobalt (Co) and selenium (Se), in answer to the body size anomaly of herbivores on different continents, and the previously unexplained absence of megaherbivores in certain environments. Location It is anomalous that megaherbivores are absent from Australia while present in even dry and nutrient-poor parts of southern Africa, and that they have been exterminated from the Americas, but not south-east Asia. Methods We hypothesize that I, Co and Se are micronutrients in quantity, but megacatalysts in effect, determining maximum body size and pace of life, hence whether energy is used by animals or fire. The Megacatalyst Theory suggests that the greater the reproductive rate and brain size relative to body size, the greater the probable demand for I, Co and Se. Results Balanced supply of I, Co and Se, within narrow tolerances, is elusive because of disparate cycles: I gravitates towards the sea, whereas Co and Se are concentrated in ultramafics and organic shales, respectively. Sufficiency of these micronutrients, at less than toxic concentrations, is vital for rapid metabolism and growth, particularly of the nervous system. Iodine controls thermogenesis, Co controls the gut fermentation supplying herbivores, and Se controls biochemical damage where both processes occur rapidly. The supply of Co allows vegetation to be metabolized instead of combusted, by promoting digestion of fibre by gut microbes. Herbivores demand I, Co and Se in greater concentrations than palatable plants necessarily contain, as an increasing proportion of energy is fermented from fibre with increasing body size. Economy of scale is limited by loss of I in urine (partly compensated by thyroid size), Co in faeces (partly compensated by gut compartments), and Se both ways. Main conclusions The larger the herbivore species, the more it may depend on supplementation in order to survive predation by humans. As body mass increases, Co becomes deficient before I, because it is essential for rumination, and cannot be absorbed by the skin. Moderate uplift of a fairly flat landscape sustainably supplies I from mineralized springs, and Co from rocks (and Se from both), avoiding the excess of I in the sea and the excess of Co on high mountains. Iodine and Se leached to groundwater under dry climates are inaccessible to herbivores on a continent as flat as Australia, where even kangaroos have limited fecundity and intelligence compared to southern African ruminants of similar body mass. Where springs and associated earth-licks were available in the late Pleistocene, megaherbivores could evolve to survive the era of domestication. [source]


    Reproductive life history of Thornicroft's giraffe in Zambia

    AFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2010
    Fred B. Bercovitch
    Abstract Knowledge of the reproductive life history of giraffe in the wild is sparse. Giraffe have two fairly unusual reproductive patterns among large mammals: they can become pregnant while lactating, and calf mortality is extremely high. Longitudinal records are largely absent, so tracking reproductive parameters tends to combine information from captive and field studies. In this study, we examine longitudinal data obtained over a 33-year period in one population of Thornicroft's giraffe in order to chart their reproductive careers. We found that age at first parturition was 6.4 years, or slightly later than in captivity. Giraffe bred throughout the year, with cows producing offspring on average every 677.7 days. About half of the calves died before one year of age, but death of a calf did not reduce interbirth interval. We conclude that the lifetime reproductive success of giraffe is more dependent on longevity and calf survivorship than on reproductive rate. Résumé La connaissance de la biologie reproductive de la girafe dans la nature est lacunaire. La girafe présente deux schémas de reproduction plutôt inhabituels chez les grands mammifères : elles peuvent être fécondées tout en allaitant, et la mortalité du jeune est extrêmement élevée. On manque cruellement de rapports longitudinaux, c'est pourquoi la recherche des paramètres de la reproduction a tendance à combiner les informations provenant d'études réalisées en captivité et sur le terrain. Dans ce rapport, nous examinons les données longitudinales recueillies sur une période de 33 ans dans une population de girafes de Thornicroft afin de dresser le tableau de leur carrière reproductive. Nous avons découvert que l'âge de la première parturition était de 6,4 ans, ou légèrement plus tard en captivité. Les girafes se reproduisent toute l'année, et les femelles mettent bas en moyenne tous les 677,7 jours. Près de la moitié des jeunes meurent avant l'âge d'un an, mais la mort du jeune ne réduit pas l'intervalle entre deux naissances. Nous concluons que la réussite de la vie reproductive d'une girafe dépend davantage de sa longévité et de la survie des jeunes que du taux de reproduction. [source]


    Early age reproduction in female savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) after severe poaching

    AFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2009
    M. J. Owens
    Abstract A 10-year study revealed that after severe poaching (>93% killed) of elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Zambia's North Luangwa National Park (NLNP) during the 1970s and 1980s, the age of reproduction in females was greatly reduced. Fifty-eight per cent of births were delivered by females aged 8.5,14 years, an age at which elephants were reported to be sexually immature in nearby South Luangwa National Park (SLNP) before poaching. The mean age of females at first birth (AFB) (1993, 1994) was 11.3 years. Prior to poaching, the mean age AFB in SLNP was 16 years. The NLNP age structure and sex ratio were skewed, mean family unit size was reduced, and 37% of family units contained no females older than 15 years. Twenty-eight per cent of family units were comprised entirely of a single mother and her calf, and 8% of units consisted only of orphans who would have been considered sexually immature prior to poaching. Only 6% of survivors were older than 20 years, the age at which females in little-poached populations generally become most reproductively active. After a community-based conservation programme and the UN-CITES ban on the ivory trade were introduced, no elephants were recorded killed. In spite of a high reproductive rate, 6 years after poaching decreased, the density of the NLNP population had not increased, supporting predictions that the removal of older matriarchs from family units will have serious consequences on the recovery of this species. Résumé Une étude qui a duré dix ans a révélé qu'après un braconnage très grave (>93% tués) des éléphants (Loxodonta africana) dans le Parc National de Luangwa Nord (NLNP), en Zambie au cours des années 1970 et 1980, l'âge de la reproduction chez les femelles a fort baissé. Cinquante-huit pour cent des naissances se sont passées chez des femelles qui avaient entre 8,5 et 14 ans, un âge auquel les éléphants étaient dits être encore sexuellement immatures dans le Parc National de Luangwa Sud (SLNP), tout proche, avant le braconnage. L'âge moyen des femelles à la première mise-bas (AFB ,at first birth) (1993, 1994) était de 11,3 ans. Avant le braconnage, l'âge moyen à la première mise-bas était de 16 ans au SLNP. Au NLNP, la structure d'âge et le sex-ratio ont été faussés, la taille moyenne de l'unité familiale a été réduite, et 37% des familles ne contiennent aucune femelle de plus de 15 ans. Vingt-huit pour cent des unités familiales n'étaient composées que d'une mère seule et de son jeune, et huit pour cent n'étaient composées que d'orphelins qui devaient être considérés comme sexuellement immatures avant le braconnage. Seuls six pour cent des survivants avaient plus de 20 ans, l'âge auquel les femelles de populations peu braconnées deviennent généralement les plus actives en matière de reproduction. Après l'introduction d'un programme de conservation communautaire et l'interdiction, par la CITES-UN, du commerce de l'ivoire, on n'a plus enregistré aucun massacre d'éléphant. Malgré un taux élevé de reproduction, la densité de population du NLNP n'a pas augmenté, ce qui conforte les prédictions que l'enlèvement des plus vieilles matriarches des unités familiales aura de sérieuses conséquences sur la restauration de cette espèce. [source]


    Insights from comparative analyses of aging in birds and mammals

    AGING CELL, Issue 2 2010
    Robert E. Ricklefs
    Summary Many laboratory models used in aging research are inappropriate for understanding senescence in mammals, including humans, because of fundamental differences in life history, maintenance in artificial environments, and selection for early aging and high reproductive rate. Comparative studies of senescence in birds and mammals reveal a broad range in rates of aging among a variety of taxa with similar physiology and patterns of development. These comparisons suggest that senescence is a shared property of all vertebrates with determinate growth, that the rate of senescence has been modified by evolution in response to the potential life span allowed by extrinsic mortality factors, and that most variation among species in the rate of senescence is independent of commonly ascribed causes of aging, such as oxidative damage. Individuals of potentially long-lived species, particularly birds, appear to maintain high condition to near the end of life. Because most individuals in natural populations of such species die of aging-related causes, these populations likely harbor little genetic variation for mechanisms that could extend life further, or these mechanisms are very costly. This, and the apparent evolutionary conservatism in the rate of increase in mortality with age, suggests that variation in the rate of senescence reflects fundamental changes in organism structure, likely associated with the rate of development, rather than physiological or biochemical processes influenced by a few genes. Understanding these evolved differences between long-lived and short-lived organisms would seem to be an essential foundation for designing therapeutic interventions with respect to human aging and longevity. [source]


    Sexually antagonistic selection on primate size

    JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2002
    P. Lindenfors
    Abstract Male intrasexual selection in haplorhine primates has previously been shown to increase male size and to a lesser degree also female size. I address the following questions: (1) why does female size increase when the selection is on males, and (2) why does female size not increase to the same extent as that of males. The potential for correlational selection on females through increased resource competition was analysed with independent contrasts analyses. No such effect was found, nor did matched pairs comparisons reveal females to increase in size because of selection to bear larger male offspring. Instead further matched pairs analyses revealed higher female postpartum investment, as indicated by a longer lactation period, in more sexually selected species, also after correcting for body weight. Concerning the second question, independent contrast analyses showed that large size has had negative effects on female reproductive rate across the primate order. Matched-pairs analyses on haplorhines revealed that females of species in more polygynous clades have lower reproductive rates than females of species in less polygynous clades. This is also true after the effects of body weight are removed. These results, both when correcting for body weight and when not, suggest that sexual selection has shifted female size from one favouring female lifetime fecundity to one favouring male success in competition. This depicts antagonistic selection pressures on female size and a trade-off for females between the ecologically optimal size of their foremothers and the larger size that made their forefathers successful. [source]


    Life history, ecology and longevity in bats

    AGING CELL, Issue 2 2002
    Gerald S. Wilkinson
    Summary The evolutionary theory of aging predicts that life span should decrease in response to the amount of mortality caused by extrinsic sources. Using this prediction, we selected six life history and ecological factors to use in a comparative analysis of longevity among 64 bat species. On average, the maximum recorded life span of a bat is 3.5 times greater than a non-flying placental mammal of similar size. Records of individuals surviving more than 30 years in the wild now exist for five species. Univariate and multivariate analyses of species data, as well as of phylogenetically independent contrasts obtained using a supertree of Chiroptera, reveal that bat life span significantly increases with hibernation, body mass and occasional cave use, but decreases with reproductive rate and is not influenced by diet, colony size or the source of the record. These results are largely consistent with extrinsic mortality risk acting as a determinant of bat longevity. Nevertheless, the strong association between life span and both reproductive rate and hibernation also suggests that bat longevity is strongly influenced by seasonal allocation of non-renewable resources to reproduction. We speculate that hibernation may provide a natural example of caloric restriction, which is known to increase longevity in other mammals. [source]


    Drivers of megaherbivore demographic fluctuations: inference from elephants

    JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, Issue 1 2009
    M. J. Trimble
    Abstract Environmentally induced variation in survival and fecundity generates demographic fluctuations that affect population growth rate. However, a general pattern of the comparative influence of variation in fecundity and juvenile survival on elephant population dynamics has not been investigated at a broad scale. We evaluated the relative importance of conception, gestation, first year survival and subsequent survivorship for controlling demographic variation by exploring the relationship between past environmental conditions determined by integrated normalized difference vegetation index (INDVI) and the shape of age distributions at 17 sites across Africa. We showed that, generally, INDVI during gestation best explained anomalies in age structure. However, in areas with low mean annual rainfall, INDVI during the first year of life was critical. The results challenge Eberhardt's paradigm for population analysis that suggests that populations respond to limited resource availability through a sequential decrease in juvenile survival, reproductive rate and adult survival. Contrastingly, elephants appear to respond first through a reduction in reproductive rate. We conclude that this discrepancy is likely due to the evolutionary significance of extremely large body size , an adaptation that increases survival rate but decreases reproductive potential. Other megaherbivores may respond similarly to resource limitation due to similarities in population dynamics. Knowing how vital rates vary with changing environmental conditions will permit better forecasts of the trajectories of megaherbivore populations. [source]


    Biological cost of tolerance to heavy metals in the mosquito Anopheles gambiae

    MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2010
    P. O. MIREJI
    The global rate of heavy metal pollution is rapidly increasing in various habitats. Anopheles malaria vector species (Diptera: Culicidae) appear to tolerate many aquatic habitats with metal pollutants, despite their normal proclivity for ,clean' water (i.e. low levels of organic matter). Investigations were conducted to establish whether there are biological costs for tolerance to heavy metals in Anopheles gambiae Giles sensu stricto and to assess the potential impact of heavy metal pollution on mosquito ecology. Anopheles gambiae s.s. were selected for cadmium, copper or lead tolerance through chronic exposure of immature stages to solutions of the metals for three successive generations. Biological costs were assessed in the fourth generation by horizontal life table analysis. Tolerance in larvae to cadmium (as cadmium chloride, CdCl2), copper [as copper II nitrate hydrate, Cu(NO3)2 2.5 H2O] and lead [as lead II nitrate, Pb(NO3)2], monitored by changes in LC50 concentrations of the metals, changed from 6.07 µg/L, 12.42 µg/L and 493.32 µg/L to 4.45 µg/L, 25.02 µg/L and 516.69 µg/L, respectively, after three generations of exposure. The metal-selected strains had a significantly lower magnitude of egg viability, larval and pupal survivorship, adult emergence, fecundity and net reproductive rate than the control strain. The population doubling times were significantly longer and the instantaneous birth rates lower in most metal-selected strains relative to the control strain. Our results suggest that although An. gambiae s.s. displays the potential to develop tolerance to heavy metals, particularly copper, this may occur at a significant biological cost, which can adversely affect its ecological fitness. [source]


    Contrasting genetic structures of two parasitic nematodes, determined on the basis of neutral microsatellite markers and selected anthelmintic resistance markers

    MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 24 2009
    A. SILVESTRE
    Abstract For the first time, the neutral genetic relatedness of natural populations of Trichostrongylid nematodes was investigated in relation to polymorphism of the ,-tubulin gene, which is selected for anthelminthic treatments. The aim of the study was to assess the contribution of several evolutionary processes: migration and genetic drift by neutral genetic markers and selection by anthelminthic treatments on the presence of resistance alleles at ,-tubulin. We studied two nematode species (Teladorsagia circumcincta and Haemonchus contortus) common in temperate climatic zones; these species are characterized by contrasting life history traits. We studied 10 isolated populations of goat nematode parasites: no infected adult goat had been exchanged after the herds were established. Beta-tubulin polymorphism was similar in these two species. One and two ,-tubulin alleles from T. circumcincta and H. contortus respectively were shared by several populations. Most of the ,-tubulin alleles were ,private' alleles. No recombination between alleles was detected in BZ-resistant alleles from T. circumcincta and H. contortus. The T. circumcincta populations have not diverged much since their isolation (FST <0.08), whereas H. contortus displayed marked local genetic differentiation (FST ranging from 0.08 to 0.18). These findings suggest that there are severe bottlenecks in the H. contortus populations, possibly because of their reduced abundance during unfavourable periods and their high reproductive rate, which allows the species to persist even after severe population reduction. Overall, the data reported contradict the hypothesis of the origin of ,-tubulin resistance alleles in these populations from a single mutational event, but two other hypotheses (recurrent mutation generating new alleles in isolated populations and the introduction of existing alleles) emerge as equally likely. [source]


    Fecundity selection predicts Bergmann's rule in syngnathid fishes

    MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2009
    ANTHONY B. WILSON
    Abstract The study of latitudinal increases in organismal body size (Bergmann's rule) predates even Darwin's evolutionary theory. While research has long concentrated on identifying general evolutionary explanations for this phenomenon, recent work suggests that different factors operating on local evolutionary timescales may be the cause of this widespread trend. Bergmann's rule explains body size variation in a diversity of warm-blooded organisms and there is increasing evidence that Bergmann's rule is also widespread in ectotherms. Bergmann's rule acts differentially in species of the Syngnathidae, a family of teleost fishes noted for extreme adaptations for male parental care. While variation in body size of polygamous Syngnathus pipefish is consistent with Bergmann's rule, body size is uncorrelated with latitude in monogamous Hippocampus seahorses. A study of populations of Syngnathus leptorhynchus along a natural latitudinal and thermal gradient indicates that increases in body size with latitude maintain the potential reproductive rate of males despite significant decreases in ambient temperatures. Polygyny is necessary in order to maximize male reproductive success in S. leptorhynchus, suggesting a possible a link between fecundity selection and Bergmann's rule in this species. [source]


    Social facilitation affects longevity and lifetime reproductive success in a self-fertilizing land snail

    OIKOS, Issue 3 2000
    Bruno Baur
    Factors that reduce the reproductive output of self-fertilizing hermaphrodites are receiving increasing attention. The combined effects of reduced fecundity of selfing parents and inbreeding depression of the progeny have been referred to as self-fertilization depression. In isolated freshwater snails the reproductive output of selfing individuals also decreases due to the lack of social facilitation (absence of a conspecific). We examined the effect of social facilitation on lifetime reproductive success (number of young produced and longevity) over two generations in the simultaneously hermaphroditic land snail Balea perversa. In a parallel study we showed that B. perversa kept singly and in pairs reproduced exclusively by self-fertilization. In the parent generation, snails kept singly produced less offspring than snails kept in pairs. The difference in lifetime number of young was mainly due to differences in adult life span. Snails of the two groups did not differ in reproductive rate (number of young produced per 100 d of reproductive life) and hatchling size. In the offspring generation, snails kept singly did not differ from individuals kept in pairs in the lifetime number of young and hatchling survival. As in the parent generation, snails kept singly reproduced during a shorter period than snails kept in pairs. However, the shorter reproductive life span of snails kept singly was compensated for by a slightly (but not significantly) higher reproductive rate which resulted in a similar number of offspring produced for both groups. In both generations, snails of the two groups did not differ in size at first reproduction, adult growth rate and size at death. These findings suggest that social facilitation may affect longevity in selfing B. perversa. [source]


    Association of MACE-based insecticide resistance in Myzus persicae with reproductive rate, response to alarm pheromone and vulnerability to attack by Aphidius colemani

    PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 11 2003
    Stephen P Foster
    Abstract Reproductive success and response to alarm pheromone, both potentially important components of fitness, were assessed using clones of Myzus persicae (Sulzer) to establish associations with insecticide resistance conferred by insensitive modified acetylcholinesterase (MACE). Both traits showed significant trends that were apparently related to this mechanism. MACE forms appeared to reproduce at slower rates than non-MACE forms expressing moderate (R1) levels of another resistance mechanism based on elevated carboxylesterase. However, MACE forms were more responsive to alarm pheromone than their non-MACE counterparts. The potential implications for parasitoid performance were tested using two clones showing clear differences in alarm response. The level of parasitism of M persicae by the parasitoid Aphidius colemani (Viereck) was significantly lower in MACE forms on pepper crops compared to non-MACE forms. In addition, the distribution of MACE and non-MACE forms differed on the pepper plants, with more MACE forms being found on the growing points. The presence of the parasitoid A colemani did not alter this change in distribution. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry [source]