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bioRxiv · 10.64898/2025.12.11.693773

Phylogeny, ecology, and allometry: hierarchical controls of insect elemental composition

Laborieux, L.·Knecht, R. J.·Fagan, W. F.·Sanders, N.·Swain, A.
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Abstract

Elemental composition links organismal physiology to biogeochemical cycles, yet the relative importance of evolutionary and ecological drivers remains unresolved for insects. Integrating a global stoichiometric database with a comprehensive phylogenetic backbone, we demonstrate hierarchical control of insect stoichiometry, with phylogeny accounting for [~]50% of variation in C:N:P ratios, followed by temperature, body mass, trophic group and habitat. We also identify nutrient enrichment in terrestrial lineages relative to aquatic ones. Our work offers a general framework for partitioning evolutionary, ecological, and physiological influences on organismal stoichiometry, highlighting new avenues to link macroevolutionary patterns to underlying processes.

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Laborieux, L., Knecht, R. J., Fagan, W. F., Sanders, N., Swain, A.. 2025-12-14. Phylogeny, ecology, and allometry: hierarchical controls of insect elemental composition. https://doi.org/10.64898/2025.12.11.693773

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