Data from: Sex allocation theory reveals a hidden cost of neonicotinoid exposure in a parasitoid wasp

Sex allocation theory has proved to be one the most successful theories in
evolutionary ecology. However, its role in more applied aspects of ecology
has been limited. Here we show how sex allocation theory helps uncover an
otherwise hidden cost of neonicotinoid exposure in the parasitoid wasp
Nasonia vitripennis. Female N. vitripennis allocate the sex of their
offspring in line with Local Mate Competition (LMC) theory. Neonicotinoids
are an economically important class of insecticides, but their deployment
remains controversial, with evidence linking them to the decline of
beneficial species. We demonstrate for the first time to our knowledge,
that neonicotinoids disrupt the crucial reproductive behaviour of
facultative sex allocation at sub-lethal, field-relevant doses in N.
vitripennis. The quantitative predictions we can make from LMC theory show
that females exposed to neonicotinoids are less able to allocate sex
optimally and that this failure imposes a significant fitness cost. Our
work highlights that understanding the ecological consequences of
neonicotinoid deployment requires not just measures of mortality or even
fecundity reduction among non-target species, but also measures that
capture broader fitness costs, in this case offspring sex allocation. Our
work also highlights new avenues for exploring how females obtain
information when allocating sex under LMC.