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

喜欢富含氨基酸的花蜜在为开花植物授粉的成虫和蝴蝶中普遍存在。为黄色月见草花授粉的蛾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，而花蜜是它们唯一的氨基酸饮食来源。尽管氨基酸对生殖的重要性已被证明，但这种偏好如何转化为繁殖力的增加仍不清楚；成年动物摄入的氨基酸不会直接用于产生更多的后代。这个项目将结合行为理论和生理学来评估花的偏好如何转化为授粉蛾两性的繁殖增加，并研究潜在的潜在生理机制。研究人员将调查花蜜氨基酸对雄蛾和雌蛾繁殖的影响，飞行肌肉的维持和功能，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，研究人员将继续开展旨在培养对代表性不足群体的科学兴趣的活动，并与纽约当地社区分享他们的工作。氨基酸偏好对雌性鳞翅目昆虫的健康益处已被证明，但这种偏好背后的机制仍不清楚，对男性健康的影响从未被评估过。该项目完成后，将对花蜜氨基酸对雌蛾交配成功和繁殖的贡献进行系统的评估，并测试两种涉及营养调节的生殖平衡与体细胞维持和免疫反应的生理学理论。利用月见草传粉最多的白线狮身人面像(Hyles Lineata)，该项目将通过实验控制成虫的营养状况，并进行交配试验，以确定营养状况如何影响雌蛾的交配选择和总体繁殖产出。为了确定氨基酸是否可以提高飞行能力，这对花蜜的觅食和繁殖很重要，研究人员还将测试飞蛾的飞行能力和肌肉力量，并结合整体肌肉细胞衰老的组织学评估。最后，为了评估氨基酸在营养调节生殖和免疫功能之间的权衡作用，将使用标准的免疫功能测试来调查营养状况如何影响蛾S在维持繁殖产量的同时抵抗病原体的能力。康奈尔生物学学者项目的本科生将参与这项研究，并得到研究人员的指导。研究人员将通过科学报告和出版物、通过扩展您的视野进行扩展、昆虫学和康奈尔？S教学扩展计划GRASSHOPR来传播他们的工作。

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.