Long-Term Prophylactic Antibiotic Treatment: Effects on Survival, Immunocompetence and Reproduction Success of Parasemia plantaginis (Lepidoptera: Erebidae).
Hundreds of insect species are nowadays reared under laboratory conditions. Rearing of insects always implicates the risk of diseases, among which microbial infections are the most frequent and difficult problems. Although there are effective prophylactic treatments, the side effects of applied antibiotics are not well understood. We examined the effect of prophylactic antibiotic treatment on the overwintering success of wood tiger moth (Parasemia plantaginis) larvae, and the postdiapause effect on their life-history traits. Four weeks before hibernation larvae were treated with a widely used antibiotic (fumagillin). We monitored moths' survival and life-history traits during the following 10 mo, and compared them to those of untreated control larvae. Prophylactic antibiotic treatment had no effect on survival but we show effects on some life-history traits by decreasing the developmental time of treated larvae. However, we also revealed relevant negative effects, as antibiotic treated individuals show a decreased number of laid eggs and also furthermore a suppressed immunocompetence. These results implicate, that a prophylactic medication can also lead to negative effects on life-history traits and reproductive success, which should be seriously taken in consideration when applying a prophylactic treatment to laboratory reared insect populations.
Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Jyvaskyla, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 University of Jyvaskyla, Finland (franziska.dickel@jyu.fi; johanna.r.mappes@jyu.fi), franziska.dickel@jyu.fi.
Franziska
F
Dickel
Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, FI-00014, Finland (dalial.freitak@helsinki.fi).
Dalial
D
Freitak
Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Jyvaskyla, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 University of Jyvaskyla, Finland (franziska.dickel@jyu.fi; johanna.r.mappes@jyu.fi).
Johanna
J
Mappes
D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D005260:Female; D007121:Immunocompetence / Q000187:drug effects; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D008136:Longevity / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009036:Moths / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D011679:Pupa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D016019:Survival Analysis
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
antibiotic; immunocompetence; mass-rearing; reproduction; trade-off