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Member Symposium

Insect Individuality: Why Viewing Insects as Individuals Matters for Tomorrow's Insect Science

Adult insect diet has a pronounced effect on cuticle thickness and injury resistance in Narnia femorata (Hemiptera: Coreidae)

Wednesday, November 13, 2024
3:45 PM – 4:00 PM MST
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, 222 A, PCC
Oral Presentation
Arthropods are one of the most diverse phyla on Earth, accounting for over 75% of animal species. The cuticular exoskeleton has played a vital role in their evolutionary success, but we know surprisingly little about the factors influencing its development, structure, and biomechanical properties. In this study, we examined whether and how nutrition affects the cuticle after an insect has completed its final adult molt. We found that a high-quality adult diet provided to the leaf-footed cactus bug, Narnia femorata (Hemiptera: Coreidae), over three weeks led to an increase of 309% in cuticle thickness and 270% in injury resistance relative to those that consumed a poor, but still ecologically relevant, diet. These results show that even after the final moult, the quality of the diet can strongly influence the development and properties of the arthropod cuticle with likely fitness-related consequences for locomotion, predator-prey interactions, and resource competition.