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Light Sheet-based Fluorescence Microscopy of Living or Fixed and Stained Tribolium castaneum Embryos

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Exploring context dependency in eco-evolutionary patterns with the stick insect Timema cristinae.

Gabriela Montejo-Kovacevich¹, Timothy Farkas², Andrew Beckerman³

¹Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK.

Ecology and Evolution

|August 14, 2020

Summary

Eco-evolutionary dynamics are context-dependent. In stick insects (Timema cristinae), camouflage maladaptation impacts arthropod communities, not insect abundance, suggesting complex ecological interactions.

Keywords:

camouflage eco‐evolutionary dynamics maladaptation metacommunity

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Population Dynamics

Background:

The influence of rapid evolution on ecological dynamics is not fully understood, primarily due to poorly defined contexts where evolution exerts significant effects.
Previous studies on the stick insect *Timema cristinae* suggested predator-mediated negative impacts of camouflage maladaptation on insect abundance and associated arthropod communities.

Purpose of the Study:

To test hypotheses regarding the context dependency of previously identified eco-evolutionary patterns in *Timema cristinae*.
To investigate the relationship between camouflage maladaptation, insect abundance, and the diversity and abundance of cohabiting arthropods.

Main Methods:

Conducted a large observational study on *Timema cristinae*.
Analyzed correlations between camouflage maladaptation and *T. cristinae* abundance.
Assessed the association between camouflage maladaptation and the species richness and abundance of cohabiting arthropods.
Examined plant nutritional quality (foliar nitrogen) and arthropod community mass-abundance slopes in relation to *Timema* maladaptation.

Main Results:

Camouflage maladaptation in *T. cristinae* did not correlate with insect abundance.
Camouflage maladaptation was positively associated with increased abundance and species richness of cohabiting arthropods.
Plants with higher *Timema* maladaptation exhibited higher foliar nitrogen and more positive mass-abundance slopes in associated arthropod communities.

Conclusions:

Eco-evolutionary dynamics are context-dependent, with camouflage maladaptation affecting arthropod communities rather than the focal insect's population size.
Findings suggest potential mechanisms like density-dependent selection, herbivore-plant feedback, and shared predation effects influencing these patterns.
Highlights the value of observational studies in understanding context dependency in eco-evolutionary dynamics and proposes avenues for future research.