This $495,671 federal Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Biological Sciences program was provided to the University of South Carolina (USC) to conduct research on how limited resources and allocation trade-offs impact mate signaling in the Mormon fritillary butterfly. The work integrates physiological and behavioral ecology approaches, using both laboratory and field studies, to understand how changes in larval food availability affect the allocation of nutrients to traits supporting reproduction and survival, including egg production, fat storage, and wing pigmentation used in mate signaling.
As part of the project, USC has issued a $160,490 sub-award to the Corporation of the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Colorado to carry out the field research component. This includes quantifying differences in larval food availability and female trait allocation between lab-reared and wild populations, as well as examining how female wing color affects mate detection and attractiveness to males. The project aims to provide critical insights into how pollinator populations may respond to changes in climate and land use that impact food resources.
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