Evol Ecol Res 9: 1131-1143 (2007)     Full PDF if your library subscribes.

Direct effects of larval competition on development time and fecundity in seed beetles

Steven M. Vamosi* and Terra L. Lesack

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada

Author to whom all correspondence should be addressed.
e-mail: smvamosi@ucalgary.ca

ABSTRACT

Question: Does larval intraspecific competition result in reduced mass-corrected fecundity independent of any effects on adult body mass?

Methods: We measured egg-to-adult developmental period, body mass, number of eggs laid, and longevity of female Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) reared alone or with another larva on cowpeas in climate-controlled growth chambers.

Results: Although the presence of a competitor did not affect mean mass of females at emergence, females reared with another larva laid significantly fewer eggs for a given body mass than those reared alone. Females that were reared in competition with another larva had longer developmental periods on average than those that were reared alone, whereas there was no evidence for an effect of competition on longevity.

Conclusions: Intraspecific competition can have direct negative effects on fecundity of females, and increase the length of the developmental period, without affecting body mass.

Keywords: Callosobruchus, development time, fecundity, intraspecific competition, longevity.

DOWNLOAD A FREE, FULL PDF COPY
IF you are connected using the IP of a subscribing institution (library, laboratory, etc.)
or through its VPN.

 

        © 2007 Steven M. Vamosi. All EER articles are copyrighted by their authors. All authors endorse, permit and license Evolutionary Ecology Ltd. to grant its subscribing institutions/libraries the copying privileges specified below without additional consideration or payment to them or to Evolutionary Ecology, Ltd. These endorsements, in writing, are on file in the office of Evolutionary Ecology, Ltd. Consult authors for permission to use any portion of their work in derivative works, compilations or to distribute their work in any commercial manner.

       Subscribing institutions/libraries may grant individuals the privilege of making a single copy of an EER article for non-commercial educational or non-commercial research purposes. Subscribing institutions/libraries may also use articles for non-commercial educational purposes by making any number of copies for course packs or course reserve collections. Subscribing institutions/libraries may also loan single copies of articles to non-commercial libraries for educational purposes.

       All copies of abstracts and articles must preserve their copyright notice without modification.