Sex‐specific consequences of host shift for morphology and fluctuating asymmetry in a seed beetle: an experimental evolution approach

Morphological plasticity may be induced by altering host plants and commonly it is sex‐specific in phytophagous insects. It is hypothesized that stress in insects caused by a host shift leads to morphological changes and developmental destabilization, which may be identified by fluctuating asymmetry. We performed reciprocal transplant experiments in eight replicated populations of the seed beetle Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae) adapted to common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L., Fabaceae) as its ancestral host and chickpea (Cicer arietinum L., Fabaceae) as a suboptimal host. Using methods of geometric morphometrics we assessed the effects of the short‐ and long‐term host shift on size and shape variation of beetles of both sexes. We also tested the hypothesis that fluctuating asymmetry is lower when the beetles develop within seeds of the ancestral host. Our results showed that females respond more plastically related to their body size and shape of the abdomen, particularly during a short‐term host shift, suggesting that females have a greater importance in maintaining the population on a new host. The level of fluctuating asymmetry is lowest in males that have evolved for generations on bean indicating that they have the most canalized development, so we suggested that symmetry in A. obtectus is maintained by sexual selection. Even if the beetles are adapted to a suboptimal host over many generations, they stabilize their development after returning to the ancestral host. Our work indicates that host shifts may change morphological aspects of the beetles in a sex‐specific manner and consequently influence their developmental trajectories. Switching host plants may cause morphological changes in insects, with sex‐specific effects. We studied bean‐ and chickpea‐adapted seed beetles, Acanthoscelides obtectus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae), using geometric morphometrics. Females showed greater plasticity in body size and abdomen shape during short‐term host shifts, suggesting their importance in adapting to new hosts. Males adapted to bean exhibited little fluctuating asymmetry, indicating stable development due to sexual selection. Beetles stabilized development upon returning to the ancestral host, even after generations on a suboptimal host.