Effects of Maternal Age and Environment on Offspring Vital Rates in the Oleander Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Abstract

Maternal effects have the potential to affect population dynamics and evolution. To affect population dynamics, maternal effects must influence offspring vital rates (birth, death, or movement). Here, we explore the magnitude of nongenetic maternal influence on the vital rates of an insect herbivore and explore predictability of maternal effects with reference to published studies. We experimentally studied the effects of maternal age, host plant species (two Asclepias spp.), and density on offspring vital rates in Aphis nerii, the oleander aphid. Older mothers produced offspring that lived shorter lives, consistent with the "Lansing Effect." Older mothers also produced offspring that matured at a younger age. As maternal age increased, offspring mass at maturity decreased when mothers were on Asclepias syriaca. However, offspring mass was highest from intermediate aged mothers on A. viridis. The absence of maternal density effects seems to exclude maternal density as a potential source of delayed density dependence in A. nerii. Our results indicate that maternal effects have some influence on A. nerii vital rates. However, references to published studies suggest that only the Lansing Effect is a predictable response to maternal age in insects. Moreover, the magnitude of observed effects was generally low.

Transcriptional profile and differential fitness in a specialist milkweed insect across host plants varying in toxicity

“…Milkweed plants exhibit marked variation in the types, concentrations and toxicity of cardenolides they characteristically produce and also vary in other physiological traits and chemical defences such as trichomes, latex and phenolics (Agrawal, Fishbein et al., ; Rasmann & Agrawal, ). Some studies have demonstrated no effect of cardenolides on A. nerii survival, fecundity, development, density and growth rate, but these studies focused on low‐toxicity plant species or experimental applications to vary cardenolide production within a species (Mooney, Jones, & Agrawal, ; Mooney et al., ; Zehnder, Parris, & Hunter, ). Comparing milkweed species that vary more substantially in cardenolide toxicity, we found that host plants with increased and more nonpolar cardenolides have negative effects on A. nerii development and fecundity, consistent with other studies that have demonstrated that plant species characterized by more toxic cardenolides are negatively associated with A. nerii population growth (Agrawal, ; Colvin, Snyder, & Thacker, ; de Roode et al., ).…”

Maternal diet and age alter direct and indirect relationships between life‐history traits across multiple generations

“…Specifically, older mothers produced larger offspring that matured at larger sizes, and subsequently produced more eggs per clutch (Coakley et al, 2018;Plaistow et al, 2015). Such positive effects of age in early life often come at the cost of longevity, potentially reducing offspring lifetime fitness (Fox, Bush, & Wallin, 2003;Hercus & Hoffmann, 2000;Plaistow et al, 2015;Priest, Mackowiak, & Promislow, 2002;Zehnder, Parris, & Hunter, 2007). These effects can have important consequences on the fitness of specific genotypes and ultimately population dynamics.…”

Disentangling Pre- and Postnatal Maternal Age Effects on Offspring Performance in an Insect with Elaborate Maternal Care

“…There is a clear need for more theory to explore the evolution of maternal effect senescence in offspring traits other than neonatal survival. For example, models that clarify the conditions under which the Lansing effect evolves would be an especially welcome addition to the literature, as this phenomenon is widely investigated (Comfort 1953;Butz and Hayden 1962;Klass 1977;Priest et al 2002;Zehnder et al 2007;Yilmaz et al 2008). However, as is the case for maternal effect senescence manifested as variation in neonatal survival, there exists no systematic review of the diversity of this phenomenon.…”