Rates and Patterns of Laboratory Adaptation in (Mostly) Insects

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Applied entomology
• Conservation biology

Background:

• Invertebrates readily adapt to artificial environments, impacting their use in biocontrol and research.
• Laboratory adaptation can alter traits crucial for understanding field populations and evolutionary dynamics.
• Rapid evolution in lab settings poses challenges for mass rearing and accurate vulnerability assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review evidence of laboratory adaptation in invertebrates across diverse taxa.
• To estimate the rates of evolutionary change in various trait classes under laboratory conditions.
• To assess the implications of laboratory adaptation for biocontrol programs and ecological studies.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of existing literature on invertebrate laboratory adaptation.
• Quantitative analysis of evolutionary rates using Haldanes and proportional trait changes.
• Comparison of adaptation patterns across different invertebrate orders and trait types.

Main Results:

• Invertebrates exhibit rapid evolutionary rates in the lab, with median changes of 0.033 Haldanes and up to 2.4 Haldanes.
• Significant trait changes (over 10% per generation) were observed, often increasing fitness in Coleoptera, Diptera, and Hymenoptera, but not Lepidoptera.
• Laboratory-adapted lines showed increased stress sensitivity, and morphological traits evolved slower than others.

Conclusions:

• Rapid laboratory adaptation necessitates guidelines for quality control in mass rearing and cautious interpretation of lab data for field populations.
• Understanding evolutionary rates is crucial for effective use of invertebrates in biocontrol and for accurate ecological vulnerability assessments.
• Lab-adapted invertebrate strains may not accurately represent wild populations due to rapid, directional evolutionary changes.