The Relative Importance of Larval and Adult Nutrition in the Isotopic Profile
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Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 8-28-2019 9:30 AM The relative importance of larval and adult nutrition in the isotopic profile of the spermatophore produced by the male true armyworm moth (Mythimna unipuncta) (Haworth). Aida Parvizi The University of Western Ontario Supervisor McNeil, Jeremy N. The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Biology A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Master of Science © Aida Parvizi 2019 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Biology Commons, and the Entomology Commons Recommended Citation Parvizi, Aida, "The relative importance of larval and adult nutrition in the isotopic profile of the spermatophore produced by the male true armyworm moth (Mythimna unipuncta) (Haworth)." (2019). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 6456. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/6456 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract The wings of true armyworm (Mythimna unipuncta) are metabolically inactive tissue and as their isotopic profiles are determined by resources obtained during larval development, they provide information on natal origin of immigrants. The majority of female immigrants are mated so could the isotopic profiles of spermatophores dissected from her reproductive tract provide information about the natal origin of her mates? However, as spermatophores are produced by metabolically active male accessory glands and could use resources obtained from larval and adult feeding I conducted experiments to determine the relative importance of these two dietary sources on the isotopic profiles of spermatophores. Laboratory results showed H from both dietary sources affect the isotopic profiles of spermatophores so they provide no reliable information about the origin of the female’s mates. However, this could be a model system to examine turnover rates of resources obtained during larval and adult stages in a migratory species. Keywords Mythimna unipuncta, spermatophore, stable isotope, nutrient allocation, migration, metabolically active tissue, accessory gland ii Summary for Lay Audience When habitat quality declines, insect species either enter a dormant state until conditions improve or migrate to more favorable sites. The true armyworm moth, Mythimna unipuncta, is a seasonal migrant, passing the winter in southern United States and moving northward in summer to avoid high temperatures at overwintering sites. Populations of this species occur annually in eastern Canada and may in some years cause considerable crop losses. However, we know little about the natal origin of these immigrants or if they come from the same site every year. These questions are now being addressed using naturally occurring chemical signatures that are based on stable isotopes of H and C (depicted as 훿2H and 13C) in wings. The majority of spring immigrant females captured in London, ON, are mated, as evidenced by the presence of one or more spermatophores in her reproductive tract. The spermatophore, a structure containing sperm and nutrients, is transferred from the male to the female at the time of mating. While wing tissue composition does not change after emergence and is a reflection of larval diet, the spermatophore is formed at least several days after adult emergence so its isotopic profiles could be influenced by both larval and adult dietary sources. Controlled laboratory experiments using individuals reared on different combinations of control and 훿2H / 13C spiked larval and adult diets, found that (i) both larval and adult diets affect the isotope composition of spermatophores, and (ii) while the spermatophores are formed within the female’s reproductive tract her contribution to the spermatophore’s isotope profile was small. Overall, my findings suggest that the isotopic profiles of spermatophores do not provide any reliable information about male natal origin due to the effects of adult diet. However, this system could be used to examine the turnover of larval and adult dietary foods in metabolically active tissues, and future studies should include factors such as sustained flight, and male mating history on spermatophore isotope composition. iii Co-Authorship Statement I prepared the different diets and reared the insects in the laboratory, as well as collecting the immigrant adults from the field. I set up the different combinations of mating pairs, dissected out and prepared the spermatophores for isotopic analyses. Professor Hobson ran all the H analyses while I helped run the C ones. I worked with Professors Hobson and McNeil to develop the experimental protocols and we all participated in the analyses and interpretation of the data. I will work with Professors Hobson and McNeil to prepare the manuscript that will be submitted for publication in the primary literature. iv Acknowledgments Thank you, Dr. Jeremy McNeil, for sharing his knowledge and expertise, and for his consistent support throughout this journey. Under his leadership, not only did I succeed to complete my Masters, but I grew as a person as well. I also extend my gratitude to Dr. Keith Hobson for his invaluable help in designing the experiments and for his generosity in granting me access to his lab to carry out the experiments. To Dr. Nusha Keyghobadi, who served on my advisory committee, I extend my most sincere appreciation for her feedback and suggestions on how to better my experiments. To Dr. Marc-André Lachance, I sincerely appreciate your invaluable feedback, and the time, and attention you granted me. To all the work-study students and volunteers who helped maintain the lab and the insect colony, this would have never been possible without you. And last, but certainly not least, I extend my most heartfelt thank you to my family for their unconditional love and support. v Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Summary for Lay Audience ............................................................................................... iii Co-Authorship Statement................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................... viii List of Figures .................................................................................................................... ix List of Appendices .............................................................................................................. x Chapter 1 ............................................................................................................................. 1 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Habitat deterioration ............................................................................................... 1 1.2 Dormancy- “here, later” .......................................................................................... 1 1.3 Migration- “there, now” .......................................................................................... 3 1.4 Techniques used to study migration ....................................................................... 4 1.4.1 Stable isotope .............................................................................................. 6 1.5 Stable isotope work on migratory species .............................................................. 9 1.6 Stable isotope work on migratory insects ............................................................. 10 1.7 True armyworm moth (Mythimna unipuncta (Haworth), Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) ............................................................................................................................... 12 1.8 Why examine the isotopic profiles of spermatophores? ....................................... 14 1.9 Research objectives ............................................................................................... 16 Chapter 2 ........................................................................................................................... 17 2 Methods and Materials ................................................................................................. 17 2.1 Study animal and laboratory rearing ..................................................................... 17 vi 2.2 Laboratory experiments ........................................................................................ 17 2.3 Preparation of spermatophores for isotope analyses ............................................. 21 2.4 Measurements of spermatophore and wing samples for δ2H analysis .................. 21 2.5 Measurements of spermatophore samples for δ13C analysis ................................ 21 2.6 Field-collected spring immigrant moths ..............................................................