Effects of population density on life history traits in a moth: in search for proximate and ultimate explanations

Effects of population density on life history traits in a moth: in search for proximate and ultimate explanations | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 18 June 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Effects of population density on life history traits in a moth: in search for proximate and ultimate explanations Authors : Kerli Kuusk 0009-0007-9681-076X [email protected] , Toomas Esperk , Tiit Teder 0000-0001-6587-9325 , Sille Holm 0000-0002-2000-4899 , and Toomas Tammaru Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175026137.70703715/v1 Published Oecologia Version of record Peer review timeline 203 views 171 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Population density often modifies the phenotypes of the members of the population. Such density-dependent phenotypic plasticity can affect basic life-history traits of the organisms. In insects, a frequently observed expression of such plasticity is the crowding response (CR), where individuals growing at high densities develop faster and attain smaller final sizes compared to those at low densities. This plastic change qualitatively differs from the general stress response where smaller final sizes are associated with longer development periods. The adaptive significance of CR, as well as the nature of the cues that trigger CR remain poorly understood. We performed series of experiments to identify proximate signals leading to CR in the geometrid moth Hypomecis atomaria, a species in which larvae reared in groups consistently pupate earlier and at lower weights than those reared in isolation. Our findings reveal that CR is also induced in complete darkness, suggesting that visual cues of high population densities do not play a decisive role. CR was triggered when the larvae were separated by a mesh barrier, preventing tactile interaction between them. The presence of heterospecific lepidopteran larvae also triggered CR, though to varying degrees. By contrast, neither the presence of dipteran insects in the rearing environment nor human-inflicted tactile stimulation affected the growth schedules of H. atomaria larvae. We conclude that CR is likely induced either by chemical signals or substrate-borne vibrations caused by other larvae. In any case, CR is not merely a response to high densities of conspecifics, nor is it a general reaction to unspecific disturbances. This allows us to narrow down the set of potential adaptive explanations for the phenomenon. Supplementary Material File (oik-11771-file002.pdf) Download 633.66 KB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 18 June 2025 Peer review timeline Published Oecologia Version of Record 7 Apr 2026 Published Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords aggregation density dependence interspecific density larval density Authors Affiliations Kerli Kuusk 0009-0007-9681-076X [email protected] University of Tartu Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences View all articles by this author Toomas Esperk Tartu Ulikooli Okoloogia ja Maateaduste Instituut View all articles by this author Tiit Teder 0000-0001-6587-9325 University of Tartu View all articles by this author Sille Holm 0000-0002-2000-4899 View all articles by this author Toomas Tammaru University of Tartu Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 203 views 171 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Kerli Kuusk, Toomas Esperk, Tiit Teder, et al. Effects of population density on life history traits in a moth: in search for proximate and ultimate explanations. Authorea . 18 June 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175026137.70703715/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . Format Please select one from the list RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager) EndNote BibTex Medlars RefWorks Direct import Tips for downloading citations document.getElementById('citMgrHelpLink').addEventListener('click', function() { popupHelp(this.href); return false; }); $(".js__slcInclude").on("change", function(e){ if ($(this).val() == 'refworks') $('#direct').prop("checked", false); $('#direct').prop("disabled", ($(this).val() == 'refworks')); }); View Options View options PDF View PDF Figures Tables Media Share Share Share article link Copy Link Copied! Copying failed. 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