Abstract
Components of phenotypic covariance of fecundity with adult size were examined in the bug Dysdercus fasciatus in benign and stressful moisture environments. In addition, genetic relationships were explored between the character states in different environments. There was a positive and significant genetic association between fecundity and adult size in a benign environment. By contrast, the observed phenotypic covariability of fecundity with adult size in a stressful environment arose entirely from non-additive genetic plus maternal effects. Genetic correlations between the same character across environments were significantly less than unity for both adult size and fecundity. These results suggest that populations in benign and stressful moisture environments would respond to selection on adult size and fecundity in different ways.
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Kasule, F. Associations of fecundity with adult size in the cotton stainer bug Dysdercus fasciatus. Heredity 66, 281–286 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1991.35
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1991.35
