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One of the most striking patterns in comparative biology is the negative correlation between lifespan and fecundity observed in comparisons among species. This pattern is consistent with the idea that organisms need to allocate a fixed energy budget among competing demands of growth, development, reproduction and somatic maintenance. However, exceptions to this pattern have been observed in many social insects, including ants, bees, and termites.  In honey bees (  Apis   mellifera ),  Vitellogenin  (  Vg ), a yolk protein precursor, has been implicated in mediating the long lifespan and high fecundity of queen bees. To determine if  Vg -like proteins can regulate lifespan in insects generally, we examined the effects of expression of  Apis   Vg  and  Drosophila CG31150  (a  Vg -like gene recently identified as  cv-d ) on  Drosophila   melanogaster  lifespan and fecundity using the RU486-inducible GeneSwitch system. For all genotypes tested, overexpression of  Vg  and  CG31150  decreased  Drosophila  lifespan and did not affect total or age-specific fecundity. We also detected an apparent effect of the GeneSwitch system itself, wherein RU486 exposure (or the GAL4 expression it induces) led to a significant increase in longevity and decrease in fecundity in our fly strains. This result is consistent with the pattern reported in a recent meta-analysis of  Drosophila  aging studies, where transgenic constructs of the UAS/GAL4 expression system that should have no effect (e.g. an uninduced GeneSwitch) significantly extended lifespan in some genetic backgrounds. Our results suggest that  Vg- family genes are not major regulators of  Drosophila  life history traits, and highlight the importance of using appropriate controls in aging studies.

Vitellogenin family gene expression does not increase Drosophila lifespan or fecundity