Stage-specific sex differences in Drosophila immunity to parasites and pathogens |
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Authors: | A R Kraaijeveld C L Barker H C J Godfray |
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Institution: | (1) NERC Centre for Population Biology, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berks, SL5 7PY, UK;(2) Present address: School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Bassett Crescent East, Southampton, Hants, SO16 7PX, UK;(3) Present address: Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK |
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Abstract: | Arguments from life-history theory predict that other things being equal females are likely to invest more in defence against
parasites and pathogens than males. This is either because males and females differ in behaviour or, more importantly, because
the variance in mating success is typically higher in males than in females. Such effects are likely to be most pronounced
in those developmental stages where sex differences are greatest. In most organisms, but especially in holometabolous insects,
this will be the adult stage. We explored sex-specific resistance to four natural enemies of Drosophila
melanogaster that attack the insect at different developmental stages: the larval parasitoid Asobara tabida, the pupal parasitoid Pachycrepoideus vindemiae; and the adult pathogens Beauvaria bassiana (a fungus) and Tubulinosema kingi (a microsporidian). Measures of resistance were designed to reflect the four species’ natural history. Female larvae were
able to defend themselves more strongly against A. tabida than males and there was weak evidence that adult females suffered less from microsporidian attack than males. No differences
were found for the other two species. Our results provide some support for lower investment in defences in males, and we discuss
why the strongest effect was found at the larval rather than the adult stage contrary to our prediction. |
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Keywords: | Drosophila Immunity Sex differences Parasitoid Pathogen Parasite |
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