Feeding and condition shifts after encountering a pathogen

What is it about?

Ingestion of key macronutrients can induce changes in behavior. Here, we used Tenebrio molitor beetles to evaluate the effects of changes in protein:carbohydrate balances in the diet to assess: a) feeding behavior before and after a fungal infection in males; and, b) body condition in males and females. Males incurred in anorexia while females mated with males to gather energetic resources from the male's spermatophore. These are adaptive responses by males to fight an infection and by females to increase their condition.

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