Seasonal differences in body mass and circulating metabolites in a wing‐dimorphic pygmy grasshopper: implications for life history?

1. Functional wing polymorphism in insects is an intriguing topic, especially with respect to the adaptive advantage of each wing morph. The common pygmy grasshopper in Germany, Tetrix subulata , displays wing polymorphism skewed towards macropterous (LW) individuals capable of flight. Furthermore,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecological entomology 2018-10, Vol.43 (5), p.675-682
Main Authors: Lehmann, Gerlind U. C., Marco, Heather G., Lehmann, Arne W., Gäde, Gerd
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Annual variations
Autumn
Body mass
Brachypterism
Carbohydrates
Diapause
Dispersal
Dispersion
Egg production
Flight
Grasshoppers
Hemolymph
Insects
Life history
Lipids
Males
Metabolism
Metabolites
Muscles
Orthoptera
Polymorphism
Spring (season)
Tetrix subulata
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Summary:1. Functional wing polymorphism in insects is an intriguing topic, especially with respect to the adaptive advantage of each wing morph. The common pygmy grasshopper in Germany, Tetrix subulata , displays wing polymorphism skewed towards macropterous (LW) individuals capable of flight. Furthermore, T. subulata is known to undergo adult diapause in winter and reproduce in spring. 2. Morphometric and biochemical parameters were examined in field‐collected grasshoppers during autumn and spring to obtain a ‘snapshot’ from the same/one cohort of grasshoppers in the wild. 3. Flight muscles are largely reduced in brachypterous (SW) specimens, whereas they are well developed in LW individuals. Body mass measurements indicated gain in female T. subulata in spring, especially in LW morphs, which could be attributed to increased reproductive activity (egg production). 4. Metabolic fuel in haemolymph is differentially distributed in autumn: the concentration of lipids is highest in males, while carbohydrates are most abundant in LW specimens. The metabolic data imply that dispersal in T. subulata is predominantly in autumn, by flight in the case of LW specimens and by hopping/walking in males. 5. The season seems to be an important factor for the reproductive versus dispersal trade‐off in this species. Moreover, this study shows that morphological differences in T. subulata individuals are reflected in physiological differences that may ultimately affect behaviour and ecology.
ISSN:0307-6946
1365-2311
DOI:10.1111/een.12647