Encountering competitors reduces clutch size and increases offspring size in a parasitoid with female–female fighting

Abstract

Understanding the size of clutches produced by only one parent may require a game-theoretic approach: clutch size may affect offspring fitness in terms of future competitive ability. If larger clutches generate smaller offspring and larger adults are more successful in acquiring and retaining resources, clutch size optima should be reduced when the probability of future competitive encounters is higher. We test this using Goniozus nephantidis, a gregarious parasitoid wasp in which the assumption of size-dependent resource acquisition is met via female–female contests for hosts. As predicted, smaller clutches are produced by mothers experiencing competition, due to fewer eggs being matured and to a reduced proportion of matured eggs being laid. As assumed, smaller clutches generate fewer but larger offspring. We believe this is the first direct evidence for pre-ovipositional and game-theoretic clutch size adjustment in response to an intergenerational fitness effect when clutches are produced by a single individual.

Citation

Goubault, M., Mack, A. F., & Hardy, I. C. (2007). Encountering competitors reduces clutch size and increases offspring size in a parasitoid with female–female fighting. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 274(1625), 2571-2577. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2007.0867

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 18, 2007
• Online Publication Date: Aug 14, 2007
• Publication Date: Oct 22, 2007
• Deposit Date: Jun 4, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 4, 2019
• Journal: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
• Print ISSN: 0962-8452
• Electronic ISSN: 1471-2954
• Publisher: Royal Society, The
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 274
• Issue: 1625
• Pages: 2571-2577
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2007.0867
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2140681
• Publisher URL: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2007.0867#d672405e1152s