Cumulative intake during the reproductive lifespan explained 83% of the variance in fecundity,

indicating that C. morosus primarily allocates incoming adult-derived resources to egg

provisioning. In contrast, body stores appear to be the source of nutrients allocated to somatic

maintenance and survival during adulthood, with proportionally heavier females living longer as

adults than smaller females. Given this breeding strategy, it is not surprising that I found no

evidence for a trade-off between longevity and fecundity, as nutrients allocated to reproduction

and maintenance do not appear to be derived from a common resource pool. These results

indicate that fluctuations in food availability can significantly alter the expression of life-history

traits and that the magnitude of these effects depends on the developmental stage during which

food availability changes and on the timing of resource acquisition relative to allocation.

 In conclusion, this dissertation provides new insights into the short- and long-term

consequences of quantitative food restriction and has wide-reaching implications for studies of

food availability in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Furthermore, the successful use of a

parthenogenetic animal model underscores the importance of natural reproductive processes in

studies of this kind, because the true fitness effects of diet can only be evaluated if reproductive

potential is not constrained by methodological limitations. The results of my work highlight the

need for further research into the proximate mechanisms underlying differences in life histories

within and among taxa.