Figure 1. Early-life immune challenge accelerates ageing.

‘Ageing acceleration’ on the y-axis represents the reduction in maximum lifespan caused by the treatments (the percentage of survivors to the 90^th percentile in the control group/the percentage of survivors to the 90^th percentile in the treatment group). The dashed line represents the point at which the difference in aging acceleration between Control and experimental groups becomes statistically significant. Control n = 133; Procedural Control 1 n = 69; Procedural Control 2 n = 62; Nylon Larval Stage n = 97; Bacteria Adult Stage n = 29; Bacteria Larval Stage n = 58; Nylon Adult Stage n = 32. Experimental groups were as follows: Control = no experimental manipulation in larval or adult stage; Procedural Control 2 = injection with sterile insect ringer in larval stage only; Procedural Control 1 = injection with sterile insect ringer in both larval and adult stage; Larval stage nylon = insertion of nylon filament in larval stage, and injection of sterile insect ringer in adult stage; Larval stage bacteria = injection of dead bacteria in larval stage, and injection of sterile insect ringer in adult stage; Adult stage bacteria = injection of sterile insect ringer at larval stage and injection of dead bacteria in adult stage; Adult stage nylon = injection of sterile insect ringer in larval stage and insertion of nylon filament in adult stage.