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A comparative morphometric study of sensory capacity in geometrid moths
Author(s) -
Javoiš Juhan,
Davis Robert B.,
Tammaru Toomas
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1111/jeb.13422
Subject(s) - biology , generalist and specialist species , lepidoptera genitalia , foraging , ecology , zoology , sensory system , reproduction , optimal foraging theory , herbivore , habitat , neuroscience
Diet breadth and the degree of capital breeding have been established as major determinants of species‐specific ecology of herbivorous insects. Both of these variables are related to resource foraging and therefore can be expected to have effects on sensory capacity. However, such effects have remained poorly studied, let alone in phylogenetically explicit multi‐species comparisons. We contribute to filling this gap in a study of 60 species of geometrid moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), using adult head measures (eye size, antennal length and shape, forehead width) as indices of sensory capacity. When controlled for body size, eyes of the more capital breeding species (i.e. those with low contribution of adult feeding to reproduction) were found to be smaller, and female antennae shorter, than in income breeders. Feathery (vs simple filiform) male antennae were more frequently present in the capital breeders and in larger species. Regarding diet breadth, generalist species were found to have relatively wider male foreheads than specialists. The results suggest that (a) breeding strategy rather than diet breadth predicts sensory capacity in geometrids, (b) capital breeding (vs income breeding) is related to low sensory capacity in females, and (c) in contrast, males of the capital breeding species have evolved towards elevated olfactory capacity.