Predator-induced transgenerational phenotypic plasticity in the cotton aphid

Transgenerational phenotypic changes, where-by offspring have an altered trait or a distinct alternate phenotype, frequently occur in response to increased maternal predation risk. The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii (Glover), is unique, however, as offspring consist of four distinct phenotypes ("...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Oecologia 2005, Vol.142 (1), p.104-108
Main Authors: Mondor, E.B, Rosenheim, J.A, Addicott, J.F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis of Variance
Animal and plant ecology
Animal behavior
Animal morphology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Aphidoidea
Aphids - anatomy & histology
Aphids - physiology
Aphis gossypii
Autoecology
Biological and medical sciences
Birds
California
Coleoptera - physiology
Community Ecology
Cotton
Ecosystem
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gossypium
Hippodamia convergens
inducible defense
Insect larvae
Larval development
Life history
Models, Biological
Natural enemies
Offspring
Peas
Phenotype
Phenotypes
Plants
polyphenism
Predation
Predators
Predatory Behavior - physiology
progeny
Protozoa. Invertebrata
Reproduction - physiology
Sustainable agriculture
trait-mediated effefts
wings
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Summary:Transgenerational phenotypic changes, where-by offspring have an altered trait or a distinct alternate phenotype, frequently occur in response to increased maternal predation risk. The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii (Glover), is unique, however, as offspring consist of four distinct phenotypes ("normal" light green apterae, "normal" dark green apterae, "dwarf" yellow apterae, and alatae), all with divergent life history patterns and resulting population dynamics. Here, we show that increased predation risk induces transgenerational phenotypic changes in cotton aphids. When exposed to search tracks from larval or adult convergent ladybird beetles, Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Méneville, cotton aphids produced greater numbers of winged offspring. In a subsequent experiment, apterous and alate individuals on clean plants were found to have primarily normal and dwarf offspring, respectively. We suggest that elevated predation risk may cause phenotypic changes in aphids over multiple generations, resulting in a more precipitous decline in herbivore populations than could be explained solely by increased predation rates.
ISSN:0029-8549
1432-1939
DOI:10.1007/s00442-004-1710-4