Modulation of immune priming across developmental stages and sexes in Tenebrio molitor
Abstract
Insects deploy both constitutive and inducible immune defences to cope with pathogen exposure. In some invertebrates, inducible “immune priming” can enhance survival upon secondary infection, but its modulation across life-history contexts remains poorly understood. We investigated how developmental stage, sex, and reproductive status affect immune priming in the mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor. Larvae and adults, males and females, and adults of differing reproductive status were subjected to bacterial priming or sham treatments, followed by a secondary infection. Survival was recorded, and haemocyte counts, phenoloxidase activity, and antibacterial capacity were quantified before and after priming to assess immune responses. Larvae exhibited higher survival than adults, despite lower baseline haemocyte counts and phenoloxidase activity. Priming improved survival in infected individuals, with effects more pronounced in adults. Physiologically, priming increased plasmatocyte counts, phenoloxidase activity, and antibacterial activity in adults, whereas larvae showed limited immune modulation. Neither sex nor reproductive status significantly influenced priming efficacy, although infected females had slightly higher mortality than males. Our results indicate that immune priming in T. molitor is developmentally constrained: larvae rely on strong constitutive defences, while adults benefit from inducible immune responses. These findings highlight the importance of life-history stage in shaping the expression and functional outcomes of insect immunity, and suggest that the efficacy of immune priming depends on immune regulation and functional quality rather than absolute investment.
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BibTeX
@article{goerlinger2026modulation,
title = {{Modulation of immune priming across developmental stages and sexes in Tenebrio molitor}},
author = {Alexandre Goerlinger and Charlène Develay and Aude Balourdet and Thierry Rigaud and Yannick Moret},
journal = {Entomologia Generalis},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1127/entomologia/4177},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05729874v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Modulation of immune priming across developmental stages and sexes in Tenebrio molitor
AU - Alexandre Goerlinger
AU - Charlène Develay
AU - Aude Balourdet
AU - Thierry Rigaud
AU - Yannick Moret
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/07
JO - Entomologia Generalis
DO - 10.1127/entomologia/4177
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05729874v1
AB - Insects deploy both constitutive and inducible immune defences to cope with pathogen exposure. In some invertebrates, inducible “immune priming” can enhance survival upon secondary infection, but its modulation across life-history contexts remains poorly understood. We investigated how developmental stage, sex, and reproductive status affect immune priming in the mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor. Larvae and adults, males and females, and adults of differing reproductive status were subjected to bacterial priming or sham treatments, followed by a secondary infection. Survival was recorded, and haemocyte counts, phenoloxidase activity, and antibacterial capacity were quantified before and after priming to assess immune responses. Larvae exhibited higher survival than adults, despite lower baseline haemocyte counts and phenoloxidase activity. Priming improved survival in infected individuals, with effects more pronounced in adults. Physiologically, priming increased plasmatocyte counts, phenoloxidase activity, and antibacterial activity in adults, whereas larvae showed limited immune modulation. Neither sex nor reproductive status significantly influenced priming efficacy, although infected females had slightly higher mortality than males. Our results indicate that immune priming in T. molitor is developmentally constrained: larvae rely on strong constitutive defences, while adults benefit from inducible immune responses. These findings highlight the importance of life-history stage in shaping the expression and functional outcomes of insect immunity, and suggest that the efficacy of immune priming depends on immune regulation and functional quality rather than absolute investment.
SN - 0171-8177
ER -