Susceptibility of a carabid beetle, Pterostichus oblongopunctatus fab., from a gradient of heavy metal pollution to additional stressors.
Insects inhabiting contaminated areas show increased susceptibility to other stressors, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether this phenomenon had a genetic basis. We investigated changes in susceptibility to food deprivation and insecticide (dimethoate) treatment of the ground beetle Pterostichus oblongopunctatus originating from four populations situated along a metal pollution gradient. To determine whether the increased susceptibility to additional stressors found in field-exposed animals from chronically metal-polluted sites had a genetic basis, our research was conducted on the second generation of laboratory-reared animals. There was no difference in susceptibility to the additional stressors indicating that the differences between populations observed in earlier studies do not have a genetic basis.
Lagisz
Malgorzata
M
School of Biology, Ridley Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK. m.m.lagisz@ncl.ac.uk
Laskowski
Ryszard
R
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005508:Food Deprivation; D008297:Male; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000633:toxicity*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D013997:Time Factors
D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012989:Soil Pollutants