Data from: Genetic and phenotypic relationships between immune defense, melanism and life history traits at different temperatures and sexes in Tenebrio molitor

Insect cuticle melanism is linked to a number of life-history traits, and a positive relationship is hypothesized between melanism and the strength of immune defense. In this study, the phenotypic and genetic relationships between cuticular melanization, innate immune defense, individual development time and body size were studied in the mealworm beetle (Tenebrio molitor) using three different temperatures with a half-sib breeding design. Both innate immune defense and cuticle darkness were higher in females than males, and a positive correlation between the traits was found at the lowest temperature. The effect of temperature on all the measured traits was strong, with encapsulation ability and development time decreasing and cuticle darkness increasing with a rise in temperature, and body size showing a curved response. The analysis showed a highly integrated system sensitive to environmental change involving physiological, morphological and life-history traits.

昆虫表皮黑化（Insect cuticle melanism）与诸多生活史性状（life-history traits）密切相关，学界此前曾提出假说：黑化程度与免疫防御强度之间存在正相关关系。本研究以黄粉虫（Tenebrio molitor）为实验材料，采用半同胞育种设计（half-sib breeding design），设置三种不同温度条件，探究了表皮黑化、先天免疫防御（innate immune defense）、个体发育时长与体型大小之间的表型及遗传关联。研究发现，雌虫的先天免疫防御能力与表皮黑化程度均高于雄虫，且在最低温度组中，上述性状间呈现显著正相关。温度对所有被测性状均存在显著调控效应：随着温度升高，包囊化能力（encapsulation ability）与发育时长逐渐缩短，表皮黑化程度则不断加深，而体型大小呈现出曲线响应模式。分析结果表明，该系统具有高度整合性，对环境变化极为敏感，涵盖了生理、形态及生活史三类性状。