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Insect Reproduction

Reproduction is the central task of life also in insects. All resources that have been governed in the course of larval development and all fitness relevant parameters serve in final consequence to produce as much as possible fecund offspring. Towards this goal, the investment of the disposable resources has to be optimized by physiological processes, in example by controlling egg maturation, or by adaptive strategies in reproductive behaviour.

We investigate physiological adaptations using the sequential oogenesis as a model. Females of many insect species, including locusts do not continuously lay eggs but deposit large numbers of eggs simultaneously into a clutch. For this purpose only the terminal oocyte of each ovariole matures. Thus, the disposable physiological resources are focused only on a subpopulation of the available oocytes. This process depends on a precisely regulated but yet unknown hormonal control. Moreover, we are interested in the factors that control an aggregated egg laying in swarming locusts. With respect to a behaviour–based concentration of resources to individual offspring we investigate solitary bees. In these insects we analyse how females have the division of their lifetime asset between their potential progeny depends on ecological factors and their own body condition.

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