Importance of dietary nitrogen and carbohydrates to survival, growth, and reproduction in adults of the grasshopper Ageneotettix deorum (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

Abstract

Key demographic traits in insect herbivores (survival, growth, and egg production) are often responsive to variation in diet quality, especially to dietary nitrogen (N) levels. Soluble carbohydrates may also be limiting. Using defined diets under controlled laboratory conditions, we examined survival, growth, and egg production in response to a range of diet qualities in adult females of a grass-feeding grasshopper Ageneotettix deorum (Scudder). Diets varied factorially within naturally occurring ranges of total N (1-7%) and carbohydrate (4-27%) levels. N concentrations significantly impacted weight gain, egg production rate, the elapsed time until the first egg pod, and the time between the first and second egg pod. These responses were typically quadratic in nature with a maximum response near 4-5% total N. The rate of pod production rather than number of eggs per pod best explained changes in reproductive rate. Dietary carbohydrate levels seldom exerted a significant impact on demographic parameters except when interacting with N on survival, egg weight, and the period between egg pods. Clearly, factors that alter the availability of quality diet, especially total N levels, can contribute to demographic responses in A. deorum.

Towards a synthesis of frameworks in nutritional ecology: interacting effects of protein, carbohydrate and phosphorus on field cricket fitness

“…When not provided with a choice of foods, both sexes prioritized protein and carbohydrate intake over phosphorus intake, whereas protein and carbohydrate intake were both regulated relatively equally (figure 2b, convex arc intake array; sensu [5]), with a decrease in intake evident with the lowest P : C foods. Similar to previous studies [10,22,37], we demonstrated that G. veletis cannot simultaneously maximize all fitness traits, and thus experienced trade-offs between fitness traits depending on the nutritional composition of available foods. Adult weight gain and egg production were maximized on high-protein diets (3 P : 1 C ), whereas adult lifespan was maximized on high-carbohydrate diets (males: 1 P : 3 C ; females: 1 P : 8 C ) and acoustic mate signalling effort was maximized with increased food intake regardless of nutrient ratio.…”

Tetraponeraants have gut symbionts related to nitrogen–fixing root–nodule bacteria

“…These nitrogen losses are often a major constraint on growth and reproduction ( Joern & Behmer 1997), so that symbioses for recycling nitrogenous waste products have evolved in a number of lineages, e.g. yeasts in planthoppers (Sasaki et al 1996), intracellular flavobacteria (Blattabacterium sp.)…”

Larval nutrition affects life history traits in a capital breeding moth

“…protein) and an energy source (i.e. carbohydrate or lipid), has significant impact on an individual's growth, development, survival and fecundity (Joern and Behmer, 1997;Naya et al, 2007;van Huis et al, 2008). However, the role of post-ingestive resource processing and allocation is not clear (Boggs, 1992).…”