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Frequency-dependent Selection

Frequency-dependent Selection

When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2025

Assessing Agrochemical Risk to Mated Honey Bee Queens

Assessing Agrochemical Risk to Mated Honey Bee Queens

Published on: March 3, 2021

Neonicotinoid Insecticides can Enhance Milkweed Vigor and Subsequently Impact Monarch Performance.

Staci Cibotti¹, Nathaniel McCartney¹, Rudolf J Schilder^2,3

¹Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, Center for Chemical Ecology, University Park, State College, 501 Ag Sciences & Industries Building, State College, PA, 16802, USA.

Journal of Chemical Ecology

|February 4, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Neonicotinoid pesticides like clothianidin can surprisingly boost milkweed plant growth. This enhanced plant vitality may affect monarch butterfly larvae feeding and weight.

Keywords:

Asclepias Cardenolides Danaus plexippus Defense induction Latex Milkweed Monarch Neonicotinoids Pesticides Phytohormones

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Environmental Science
Entomology

Background:

Milkweed is crucial for monarch butterfly survival in North America.
Pesticides, especially neonicotinoids, contaminate milkweed, raising concerns for monarch health.
Limited research exists on how pesticides interact with milkweed defenses to affect monarchs.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if clothianidin alters milkweed defense mechanisms.
To determine the indirect effects of clothianidin-treated milkweed on monarch butterfly growth and feeding.

Main Methods:

Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) was treated with the neonicotinoid clothianidin.
Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) larvae were reared on treated and control milkweed plants.
Plant growth, larval weight, leaf consumption, and plant defense compounds (jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, latex, cardenolides) were measured.

Main Results:

Clothianidin-treated milkweed plants exhibited increased height.
Monarch larvae feeding on treated plants showed greater weight and consumed more leaf tissue.
Treated plants had elevated jasmonic acid levels but unchanged salicylic acid, latex, or cardenolide concentrations after herbivory.

Conclusions:

Clothianidin assimilation can enhance common milkweed vitality.
This improved plant health may indirectly influence monarch butterfly performance, warranting further investigation into these ecological interactions.