Meeting Abstract

 

P3-76  Sunday, Jan. 6 15:30 – 17:30  The effect of juvenile and adult diet on female fecundity and longevity BRANDFON, SH*; CIRINO, LA; MILLER, CW; University of Florida ; University of Florida ; University of Florida sbrandfon@ufl.edu

Environments change seasonally and so do the resources that are provided to herbivores. Prickly pear cactus is a seasonal plant that has unripe fruit (suboptimal) in the spring and ripe fruit (optimal) in the fall. Thus, leaf-footed cactus bugs, Narnia femorata, that feed on this plant are subjected to varying nutrition throughout the year. The objective of this study is to understand how separate and combined juvenile and adult natural diets effect the longevity and fecundity of N. femorata. Juveniles were placed on either suboptimal or optimal diets. Adult females in the suboptimal group were then split into suboptimal or optimal diets. N. femorata were observed every day for feeding and egg laying for 84 days. Preliminary results suggest that females on adult diets are the most fecund and live the longest. Females on suboptimal diets are the least fecund. Females that were switched from a suboptimal to an optimal diet were able to reproductively recover and lay more eggs than the fully suboptimal diet group. This study suggests that animals that have suffered from suboptimal diets as juveniles, will be able to partially recover with an optimal diet in adulthood.