Consequently, my fecundity data in isolation are not sufficient to draw conclusions about

the effects of diet history on fitness. Unfortunately, my ability to assess these effects was

compromised by egg inviability. Compared to the expected hatch success of nearly 100% for

captive C. morosus (Brock 2000), egg hatchability in this study was disappointingly low. I

suggest two possibilities for this occurrence. The English ivy I fed to experimental animals may

have been deficient in one or more limiting nutrients, thereby largely preventing embryogenesis.

Alternatively, my incubation protocol may not have been appropriate for this species. However,

my reproductive output results do indicate that food restriction imposed late in development and

during reproductive activity has profound negative implications for fitness. Furthermore, high

mortality prior to the onset of reproductive activity compounded the negative effects of lifelong

FR on egg production and indicates that reproductive output is severely reduced by continuous,

quantitative FR.

 In summary, food availability strongly influences the expression of life-history traits and

trade-offs in C. morosus. To my knowledge, this study was the first to evaluate the effects of

quantitative dietary manipulations throughout life in a long-lived, hemimetabolous insect. My

methodology allowed for accurate measurement of daily food consumption rates, a critical but

often neglected component in studies of life history (Zera and Harshman 2001). In addition,

using a parthenogenetic species as my animal model was a novel approach that obviated the need

for mating while still permitting oviposition of fertile eggs. My data demonstrated that the life-

history responses to differences in intake depended to a large extent on the timing of nutritional

stress. Food restriction experienced at any point during life led to decreased fecundity. This

decrease resulted primarily from differences in the quantity of reserves accumulated prior to the

onset of reproductive activity and resulting differences in reproductive rate and adult survival. In