Abstract:  【Aim】 For wing polymorphic insects the energy investment of males in reproduction is different from that of females, and this difference may lead to changes in the physiological mechanism of the trade-off between flight and reproduction. To test this speculation, we investigated the accumulation and allocation of nutrients in wing-dimorphic male adults of Velarifictorus aspersus. 【Methods】 We compared the temporal changes in body weight between the long-winged (LW) and short-winged (SW) male adults of V. aspersus with similar head width within 7 d after emergence. The contents of protein, total lipids and glycogen in the whole body, and flight and reproductive organs in the wing-dimorphic male adults were determined by spectrophotometry. 【Results】 The body weight of the LW male adults of V. aspersus remained unchanged within the first 7 d after emergence, while that of the SW male adults increased significantly. The protein contents in the LW males and SW males on the day of adult emergence were 46.5±2.7 and 42.3±1.9 mg, respectively, showing significant difference between the two wing morphs. In addition, the protein content increased faster in the LW male adults than in the SW male adults thereafter. The contents of total lipids in the LW and SW males showed no significant difference on the day of adult emergence, but the contents of total lipids in the SW males were significantly higher than those in the LW males on the 5th and 7th days after adult emergence. Within 7 d after adult emergence, the contents of proteins and total lipids in flight muscles of the LW males were significantly higher than that of the SW males. On the day of adult emergence, there was no significant difference in the contents of proteins and total lipids between the accessory glands of the LW and SW males. However, the contents of proteins and total lipids in the accessory glands of the SW males were significantly higher than those of the LW males from the 3rd day after adult emergence. 【Conclusion】 The results suggest that the trade-off between flight and reproduction can influence the accumulation and allocation of nutrients in wing-dimorphic male adults of V. aspersus.

Key words:  Velarifictorus aspersus, wing dimorphism, tradeoff between flight and reproduction, nutrients, body weight, flight muscles