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Sex-specific effects of temperature on reproductive behaviors and fitness in Drosophila melanogaster
5.1 Developmental Plasticity

As in most insects, environmental factors such as temperature can influence development in Drosophila melanogaster. For example, temperature can lead to phenotypic variation, such as larger or smaller body sizes via developmental plasticity. Temperature-induced developmental plasticity can be beneficial and/or detrimental. Most often lower developmental temperatures reduce growth rates which influence many other physiological factors. For example, development at 25 ° C increases walking speed, thermal performance breadth, and territorial success, while development at 18 ° C increases body mass, wing size, and egg size. . Moreover, developing at certain low temperatures produces large wings which improve flight performance at similarly low temperatures.

While certain effects of developmental temperature, like body size, are irreversible in ectotherms, others can be reversible. When Drosophila melanogaster develop at cold temperatures they will have greater cold tolerance, but if cold-reared flies are maintained at warmer temperatures their cold tolerance decreases and heat tolerance increases over time.

Developmental temperature can produce sex-specific effects in D. melanogaster adults.


 * Females- Ovariole number is significantly affected by developmental temperature in D. melanogaster. Egg size is also affected by developmental temperature, and exacerbated when both parents develop at warm temperatures (Maternal effect). Early fecundity (total eggs laid in first 10 days post-eclosion) is maximized when reared at 25 ° C (versus 17 ° C and 29 ° C) regardless of adult temperature. Across a wide range of developmental temperatures, females tend to have greater heat tolerance than males.


 * Males- Stressful developmental temperatures will cause sterility in D. melanogaster males; although the upper temperature limit can be increased by maintaining strains at high temperatures. Male sterility can also be reversible if adults are returned to an optimal temperature after developing at stressful temperatures . Male flies are smaller and more successful at defending food/oviposition sites when reared at 25 ° C versus 18 ° C.