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Allometric and phylogenetic variation in insect phosphorus content

  1. H. A. Woods1,*,
  2. W. F. Fagan2,
  3. J. J. Elser3,
  4. J. F. Harrison3

Article first published online: 6 FEB 2004

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2004.00823.x

Issue

Functional Ecology

Functional Ecology

Volume 18, Issue 1, pages 103–109, February 2004

Additional Information

How to Cite

Woods, H. A., Fagan, W. F., Elser, J. J. and Harrison, J. F. (2004), Allometric and phylogenetic variation in insect phosphorus content. Functional Ecology, 18: 103–109. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2004.00823.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Section of Integrative Biology C0930, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA,

  2. 2

    Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA, and

  3. 3

    Department of Biology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287–1501, USA

* †Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: art.woods@mail.utexas.edu

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 6 FEB 2004
  2. Article first published online: 6 FEB 2004
  3. Received 4 June 2003; revised 12 September 2003; accepted 16 September 2003

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Keywords:

  • Allometry;
  • body size;
  • exoskeleton;
  • phosphorus limitation;
  • stoichiometry

Summary

  • 1
    Phosphorus content was measured in adult insects and arachnids from 170 species collected in the Sonoran Desert.
  • 2
    Across insect body sizes spanning four orders of magnitude, phosphorus content was inversely related to body mass. The largest species (∼1 g dry) had phosphorus contents that were only about 60% (0·62% P absolute) as high as phosphorus contents of the smallest species (∼0·0001 g dry; 0·97% P). Negative phosphorus allometry was observed within each of seven insect orders and within arachnids.
  • 3
    Phosphorus contents of insect predators and herbivores were statistically indistinguishable.
  • 4
    More recently derived orders tended to have lower phosphorus contents – with the exception of the most recently derived group (Panorpida = Diptera + Lepidoptera), which had high phosphorus contents.
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