I am studying whether polyandry in female winter moths (Operophtera brumata) acts as a bet hedging strategy to reduce the risk of phenological mismatch with oak budburst under climate change. By mating with multiple males, females may produce offspring with more variable hatching times, improving synchrony with oak budburst. To investigate this, I will (i) assess the frequency of polyandry in a wild population and then (ii) quantify the relationship between polyandry and hatching variability using paternity and hatching data from wild populations and controlled mating experiments. Since hatching date exhibits temperature-dependent plasticity, I will finally (iii) assess whether the effect of polyandry on phenological variability differs across temperature treatments, indicating a potential interaction between plasticity and bet hedging strategies.
ecology, evolution, genetics
