Independent and interactive effects of immune activation and larval diet on adult immune function, growth and development in the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella)

Organisms in the wild are likely to face multiple immune challenges as well
as additional ecological stressors, yet their interactive effects on immune
function are poorly understood. Insects are found to respond to cues of
increased infection risk by enhancing their immune capacity. However, such
adaptive plasticity in immune function may be limited by physiological and
environmental constraints. Here, we investigated the effects of two environmental
stressors – poor larval diet and an artificial parasite-like immune
challenge at the pupal stage – on adult immune function, growth and development
in the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella). Males whose immune
system was activated with an artificial parasite-like immune challenge had
weaker immune response – measured as strength of encapsulation response
– as adults compared to the control groups, but only when raised in highnutrition
larval diet. Immune activation did not negatively affect adult
immune response in males r...