e-journal

Anthropogenic host plant expansion leads a nettle-feeding butterfly out of the forest: consequences for larval survival and developmental plasticity in adult morphology

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Recent anthropogenic eutrophication has meant that host plants of nettle-feeding insects became quasi-omnipresent in fertile regions of Western Europe. However,host plant resource quality – in terms of microclimate and nutritional value – may vary considerably between the ‘original’ forest habitat and ‘recent’ agricultural habitat. Here, we compared development in both environmental settings using a split-brood design, so as to explore to what extent larval survival and adult morphology in the nettle-feeding butterfly Aglais urticae are influenced by the anthropogenic environment. Nettles along field margins had higher C/N ratios and provided warmer microclimates to larvae. Larvae developed 20% faster and tended to improve their survival rates, on the agricultural land compared to
woodland. Our split-brood approach indicated plastic responses within families,but also family effects in the phenotypic responses. Adult males and females had darker wing pigmentation in the drier and warmer agricultural environment,which contrasts with the thermal melanism hypothesis. Developmental plasticity in response to this microclimatically different and more variable habitat was associated with a broader phenotypic parameter space for the species. Both habitat expansion and developmental plasticity are likely contributors to the ecological
and evolutionary success of these nettle-feeding insects in anthropogenic environments under high nitrogen load.

Keywords
Aglais urticae, eco-evolutionary dynamics,eutrophication, habitat expansion, host plant quality, phenotypic space, range expansion,rapid evolution, split-brood, Urtica dioica.

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Ketersediaan

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Informasi Detail

Judul Seri

Evolutionary Applications

No. Panggil

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Penerbit

: The Authors., 2015

Deskripsi Fisik

Evolutionary Applications 8 (2015) 363–372

Bahasa

English

ISBN/ISSN

doi:10.1111/eva.1224

Klasifikasi

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Tipe Isi

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Tipe Media

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Tipe Pembawa

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Edisi

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Subjek

Agriculture

Info Detail Spesifik

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Pernyataan Tanggungjawab

Wati/Agus

Versi lain/terkait

Lampiran Berkas

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