Resource allocation to reproduction and soma in Drosophila: a stable isotope analysis of carbon from dietary sugar

The actual δ13C values for flies on beet/cane and cane/beet represent a weighted average of contributions of carbon from larval and adult feeding.

“The actual δ 13 C values for flies on beet/cane and cane/beet represent a weighted average of contributions of carbon from larval and adult feeding (Min et al., 2006), allowing us to estimate the relative contributions of larval and adult carbon derived from sugar.”

Energy reserves acquired during the larval stages of holometabolous insects are stored in the larval fat body to fuel the later re-architecture of the animal to the adult form during metamorphosis.

“Energy reserves acquired during the larval stages of holometabolous insects are stored in the larval fat body to fuel the later re-architecture of the animal to the adult form during metamorphosis.”

A high-turnover 'fast' pool of carbon associated with reproductive effort and a 'slow' pool of somatic carbon exist.

“Min et al. (Min et al., 2006) proposed the existence of a high-turnover 'fast' pool of carbon associated with reproductive effort, and a 'slow' pool of somatic carbon.”

Early egg production is largely supported by larval nutrition, with half of the carbon content of the eggs derived from dietary sugar.

“Previous work has shown that early egg production is largely supported by larval nutrition, with half of the carbon content of the eggs derived from dietary sugar (Min et al., 2006;O'Brien et al., 2008).”

Larval nutrients not consumed during metamorphosis are allocated to somatic maintenance and reproduction in the adult.

“Those larval nutrients that are not consumed during metamorphosis are allocated to somatic maintenance and reproduction in the adult (Fischer et al., 2004;Boggs and Freeman, 2005;Min et al., 2006;Boggs, 2009).”