Biological invasion and biological control select for different life histories

Ashraf Tayeh, Ruth A. Hufbauer, Arnaud Estoup, Virginie Ravigné, Léa Frachon and Benoit Facon ()
Additional contact information
Ashraf Tayeh: UMR CBGP, INRA
Ruth A. Hufbauer: Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University
Arnaud Estoup: UMR CBGP, INRA
Virginie Ravigné: UMR BGPI, CIRAD
Léa Frachon: UMR CBGP, INRA
Benoit Facon: UMR CBGP, INRA

Nature Communications, 2015, vol. 6, issue 1, 1-5

Abstract: Abstract Biological invaders have long been hypothesized to exhibit the fast end of the life-history spectrum, with early reproduction and a short lifespan. Here, we examine the rapid evolution of life history within the harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis. The species, once used as a biological control agent, is now a worldwide invader. We show that biocontrol populations have evolved a classic fast life history during their maintenance in laboratories. Invasive populations also reproduce earlier than native populations, but later than biocontrol ones. Invaders allocate more resources to reproduction than native and biocontrol individuals, and their reproduction is spread over a longer lifespan. This life history is best described as a bet-hedging strategy. We assert that invasiveness cannot be explained only by invoking faster life histories. Instead, the evolution of life history within invasive populations can progress rapidly and converge to a fine-tuned evolutionary match between the invaded environment and the invader.

Date: 2015
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms8268 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms8268

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8268

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().