Adult feeding and host type modulate the life history traits of the capital breederZabrotes subfasciatus

Income breeding animals support reproduction by the intake of energy and molecular building blocks during adulthood. Capital breeders, in contrast, fuel reproduction by the intake of materials during the larval stage. There exists, however, some controversy as to whether adult feeding in capital breeders actually increases fitness. We tested whether individuals feed as adults in the weevilZabrotes subfasciatusBoheman, whether they equally accept carbohydrate- or nitrogen-rich food (sugar or yeast), whether food ingestion varies with the available host type and whether feeding as adults alters life history traits. The hosts tested were three varieties ofPhaseolus vulgaris, Carioca, Jalo, and Preto;Vigna unguiculataFrade; andVicia faba. We also tested whether sugar ingestion affects life history traits differently in the presence of different host types. We found thatZ. subfasciatusfeed as adults and equally accept sugar and yeast, and food ingestion depends on host type. Sugar and yeast significantly promote oviposition of larger eggs on Carioca seeds and enhance adult emergence, and sugar ingestion increases longevity. Moreover, the insects avoid feeding when onV. fabaseeds, on which they did not oviposit. Mean fitness values showed the following hierarchy: Carioca = Jalo > Frade > Preto >V. faba. These results show that the capital breederZ. subfasciatusfeed as adults, which increases life history traits and suggests the existence of a hierarchy of performance on different hosts, with theP. vulgarisvarieties Carioca and Jalo offering the best conditions.