The genetic basis of egg lay response to conditioned medium in the flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum

Abstract

The rate of egg laying in Tribolium castaneum is affected by the quality of the environment and can thus serve not only as a component of fitness of the individual, but also as an adaptation to the long-term survival of the population. In an attempt to determine whether it is an independent genetic character, selection for high and low rates of response was carried jut in beetles from three wild populations. When tests were done on virgin females, and responsiveness, corrected for scale effects, was used as the criterion for selection, separation between the lines was achieved in one generation. It is suggested that in natural populations of Tribolium, the responsiveness of the rate of egg laying to the quality of the environment is controlled by a small number of genes.