Larval nutrition impacts the scaling of adult metabolic rate with body mass in honeybees

Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is a fundamental physiological measure linked to numerous aspects of organismal function, including lifespan. Although dietary restriction in insects during larval growth/development affects adult RMR, the impact of larval diet quality on adult RMR has not been studied. Using in vitro rearing to control larval diet quality, we determined the effect of dietary protein and carbohydrate on honeybee survival-to-adulthood, time-to-eclosion, body mass/size and adult RMR. High carbohydrate larval diets increased survival-to-adulthood and time-to-eclosion compared to both low carbohydrate and high protein diets. Upon emergence, bees reared on the high protein diet were smaller and lighter than those reared on other diets, whilst those raised on the high carbohydrate diet varied more in body mass. Newly-emerged adult bees’ reared on the high carbohydrate diet showed a significantly steeper increase in allometric scaling of RMR compared to those reared on other diets....

静息代谢率（Resting metabolic rate, RMR）是与包括寿命在内的诸多机体功能密切相关的基础生理学指标。尽管昆虫幼虫生长发育阶段的膳食限制会影响成虫的静息代谢率，但目前尚未有关于幼虫膳食质量对成虫静息代谢率影响的相关研究。本研究借助体外饲养（in vitro rearing）技术控制幼虫膳食质量，探究了膳食蛋白质与碳水化合物对蜜蜂羽化至成虫存活率、羽化时间、体质量/体型以及成虫静息代谢率的作用效果。与低碳水化合物膳食组和高蛋白膳食组相比，高碳水化合物幼虫膳食可提升蜜蜂的羽化至成虫存活率并延长羽化时间。羽化当日，高蛋白膳食组饲养的蜜蜂体型更小、体质量更轻，而高碳水化合物膳食组饲养的蜜蜂体质量变异程度更高。与其他膳食组饲养的蜜蜂相比，高碳水化合物膳食组饲养的新羽化成虫，其静息代谢率的异速标度（allometric scaling）呈现出更为显著的陡增趋势……