Natural and sexual selection become visible : Animal – Plant interactions between the parasitic weevil Rhopalapion longirostre (original) (raw)

Multivariate statistics (principal components analysis, path analysis) were used to investigate fitness components of the interactions between the weevil Rhopalapion longirostre (Olivier, 1807), Apionidae, Coleoptera and its host plant Alcea rosea (Linnaeus, 1758), Malvaceae. We focused on the activities of the larvae such as the choice of seeds for consumption, the preparation of seed chambers as a site for pupation, as well as the construction of escape holes through which the adults later emerge. The analyses revealed that the optimal conditions for successful development of the weevils depended on the availability of seed capsules characterized by a high number of well developed seeds, few undeveloped and few spoiled seeds. The high number of larvae, pupae and not emerged adults found in the seed capsules corresponds with the successful emergence of adults. Egg deposition by the females in appropriate flower buds of the host plant, together with larval contribution to overall re...