The effect of nutrient stress on life history parameters of the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae scop.

Experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of brief spells of starvation on the longevity and age-specific reproduction of A. fabae. Increasing the duration of the starvation period reduced the aphids' ability to resettle when returned to a host, but no longer-term effects on mortality were found. Secondly, as predicted, starvation reduced life-time fecundity, but increased the reproductive rate immediately after nutrition improved.