Fitness consequences of variation in developmental temperature in a butterfly

We explored the adaptive significance of developmental plasticity in the tropical butterfly Bicyclus anynana using two experiments including temperature changes during ontogeny. In contrast to previous findings on adult acclimation, we could not find any evidence in support of adaptive developmental plasticity, as survival until adulthood was not enhanced when larval rearing temperatures matched the temperatures experienced during prepupal or pupal development. Extreme temperatures substantially reduced survival, supporting the ‘optimal developmental temperature’ hypothesis. Metamorphosis was more efficient at the higher rearing temperature of 27 °C, where egg hatching success was also higher, indicating that the lower temperature of 20 °C is already slightly stressful for this tropical butterfly.