Effects of larval competition on survival and growth in Mediterranean fruit flies |
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Authors: | Reuven Dukas Ronald J Prokopy Jian Jun Duan |
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Institution: | Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Canada,;Department of Entomology, University of Massachusetts, U.S.A. and;Department of Entomology, Kauai Agricultural Research Center, University of Hawaii, U.S.A. |
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Abstract: | 1. Larval success was compared when one, two, or three egg clutches were laid in kumquat fruits (≈ 10 ml in volume) either successively on the same day or at the rate of one clutch per day. 2. Increased clutch density was associated with a significant decrease in larval survival rate and non‐significant decreases in larval growth rate and pupal mass. 3. Larval and pupal parameters showed significantly larger variance when clutches were laid on successive days than on the same day, suggesting a competitive advantage for older larvae over younger larvae. 4. The results suggest that, in small fruit, reduced fitness due to larval competition may act against possible fitness benefits due to social facilitation among adult females, hence reducing the likelihood of non‐linear population dynamics caused by processes such as the Allee effect. |
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Keywords: | Allee effect competition fruit flies social facilitation |
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