Microclimatic adaptation and differences in food consumption and assimilation efficiency of different shell colour morphs of the land snail Arianta arbustorum

Food consumption and assimilation efficiency of different shell colour morphs adapted to various microclimatic conditions were determined. Five‐factor analysis of variance (adaptation temperature, relative humidity, phenotypic shell colour, age class and time of acclimatization) was used. There are differences between different levels of adaptation temperature and relative humidity in the effect on food consumption in the two morphs. The interaction of these two factors is also significant. There is no effect of the phenotypic shell colour on the food consumption, but there is a relation between shell colour and adaptation temperature. Food consumption is greater in the juveniles. The interactions between age class and adaptation temperature or relative humidity are relevant. Acclimatization to these conditions shows a highly significant effect on the food consumption. The brown and yellow morphs of Arianta arbustorum consumed different amounts of food in relation to the adaptation temperature. Assimilation efficiency is independent of temperature but declines at high relative humidity. There is a relation between adaptation temperature and relative humidity, but not between the phenotypic shell colour and age class factors. The yellow morphs show higher assimilation efficiencies than the brown morphs during cold adaptation to 5 °C and at the highest level of relative humidity (98%).