Transgenerational acclimatization in an herbivore-host plant relationship

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Entomology

Background:

• Parental effects significantly influence offspring phenotype, a concept recognized for two decades.
• Transgenerational acclimatization in herbivore-host plant interactions has been hypothesized but not empirically verified.
• Host plant quality variation presents challenges and cues for herbivore progeny fitness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate transgenerational acclimatization in the butterfly Coenonympha pamphilus.
• To determine if parental host plant experience predicts offspring phenotype.
• To examine both maternal and paternal effects on progeny acclimatization.

Main Methods:

• Larvae of Coenonympha pamphilus were reared on high- and low-quality host plants across parental (P) and offspring (F(1)) generations.
• Maternal and paternal effects were assessed by exposing parents and offspring to different host plant qualities.
• Offspring fitness and phenotypic adjustments were evaluated in response to parental host plant experience.

Main Results:

• Parental exposure to host plant cues resulted in progeny phenotypes adjusted to anticipated host plant quality.
• Maternal effects influenced both female and male offspring.
• Paternal effects were observed to impact only male offspring.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first empirical verification of transgenerational acclimatization in an herbivore-host plant interaction.
• Parental effects, including paternal influences, play a crucial role in adapting herbivore progeny to environmental conditions.
• Findings have significant implications for understanding host-use evolution, host-race formation, and sympatric speciation in herbivores.