Inducing Evolution in Bean Beetles

 

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2010, Volume 31

Blumer, L. S. & C. W. Beck

Abstract

Demonstrating and measuring evolution in a laboratory environment with animal species is typically very challenging. However, insects are among the most amenable species for such studies and the bean beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus, is the easiest species in which such studies may be conducted. Bean beetles are agricultural pest insects of Africa and Asia. Females lay their eggs on the surface of beans (Family Fabaceae) and the entire pre-adult parts of the life cycle occur inside the host bean. In this study, students design and conduct experiments to evaluate whether evolution by natural selection (or alternatively, genetic drift) may be induced in laboratory populations.

Keywords:  evolution, genetic drift, natural selection, bean beetle, Bruchidae

University of Delaware (2009)