Dissertation Research: Behavioral Responses to Floral Signals of Nectar Quality Affect Hawkmoth Fitness

对富含氨基酸的花蜜的偏好在为开花植物授粉的成年蛾和蝴蝶中是普遍存在的。 以黄色月见花报春花为授粉对象的蛾类昆虫可以利用其气味的强度直接评估花蜜中氨基酸的含量。氨基酸提高了这些传粉者的繁殖潜力，花蜜是它们唯一的氨基酸饮食来源。 尽管氨基酸对繁殖的重要性已经得到证实，但这种偏好如何转化为增加的繁殖力仍然是未知的;成年人消耗的氨基酸并不直接用于产生额外的后代。本计画将结合联合收割机的行为理论与生理学，以评估花的偏好如何转化为增加繁殖的两性传粉蛾，并探讨潜在的生理机制。研究人员将研究花蜜氨基酸对雄蛾和雌蛾生殖、飞行肌肉维持和功能的影响，以及免疫功能和生殖之间的权衡。该项目还为本科生和具有更广泛营养兴趣的交换生提供了参与研究的机会。此外，研究人员将继续活动，旨在促进科学利益的代表性不足的群体，并分享他们的工作与当地NY communities.The健身的好处，氨基酸的偏好已被证明在女性鳞翅目，但这种偏好背后的机制仍然未知，对男性健身的影响从来没有被评估。一旦完成，该项目将提供一个系统的评估花蜜氨基酸的贡献交配成功和繁殖的蛾和测试两个生理理论，涉及营养介导的生殖权衡与体细胞的维护和免疫反应。利用夜报春花O. flava，该项目将实验性地操纵成年蛾的营养状况，并进行交配试验，以确定营养状况如何影响两性蛾的择偶和总体生殖产出。 为了确定氨基酸是否能提高飞行能力，这对花蜜的觅食和繁殖很重要，研究人员还将测试蛾的飞行能力和肌肉力量，并结合对整体肌肉细胞衰老的组织学评估。最后，为了评估氨基酸在生殖和免疫功能之间的营养介导的权衡中的作用，免疫功能的标准测试将用于调查营养状况如何影响蛾？在维持生殖输出的同时抵抗病原体的能力。康奈尔大学生物学学者项目的本科生将参与研究并接受研究人员的指导。研究人员将通过科学报告和出版物传播他们的工作，通过扩大你的视野，昆虫和康奈尔大学？的教学推广计划GRASSHOPR。

A preference for amino acid-rich floral nectar is ubiquitous among adult moths and butterflies that pollinate flowering plants. Moths pollinating yellow evening primrose (Oenothera flava) flowers can use the intensity of its scent to directly assess the nectar amino acid content. Amino acids improve the reproductive potential of these pollinators and nectar is their only dietary source of amino acids. Despite the demonstrated importance of amino acids to reproduction, it remains unknown how this preference translates into increased fecundity; amino acids consumed by the adult are not directly used to produce additional offspring. This project will combine behavioral theory and physiology to assess how floral preference translates into increased reproduction for both sexes of pollinating moth and to investigate potential underlying physiological mechanisms. The researchers will investigate effects of nectar amino acids on male and female moth reproduction, flight muscle maintenance and function, and trade-offs between immune function and reproduction. This project also provides opportunities for research involvement by undergraduates and exchange students with broader nutritional interests. Furthermore, the investigators will continue activities designed to foster scientific interests in underrepresented groups and share their work with local NY communities.The fitness benefits of amino acid preferences have been demonstrated in female Lepidoptera, however the mechanisms behind this preference remain unknown and the impact on male fitness has never been assessed. Once completed, this project will provide a systematic assessment of the contributions of nectar amino acids to mating success and reproduction in both sexes of moth and test two physiological theories involving nutritionally mediated reproductive tradeoffs with somatic maintenance and immune response. Using the white-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata), the most abundant pollinator of the evening primrose O. flava, this project will experimentally manipulate the nutritional status of adult moths and conduct mating trials to determine how nutritional status affects mate-choice and overall reproductive output in both sexes of moth. To determine if amino acids improve flight ability, which is important for nectar foraging and reproduction, the researchers will also test moth flight ability and muscle strength in combination with histological assessments of overall muscle cell senescence. Finally, to assess the role of amino acids for nutritionally mediated tradeoffs between reproduction and immune function, standard tests of immune function will be used to investigate how nutritional status influences a moth?s ability to resist pathogens while maintaining reproductive output. Undergraduates from the Cornell Biology Scholars program will participate in the research and be mentored by the researchers. The researchers will disseminate their work through scientific presentations and publications, outreach through Expanding Your Horizons, Insectapalooza and Cornell?s teaching outreach program GRASSHOPR.