Abstract
Cold tolerance is often one of the key components of insect fitness, but the association between climatic conditions and supercooling capacity is poorly understood. We tested 16 lines originating from geographically different populations of the linden bug Pyrrhocoris apterus for their cold tolerance, determined as the supercooling point (SCP). The supercooling point was generally well explained by the climatic conditions of the population’s origin, as the best predictor—winter minimum temperature—explained 85% of the average SCP variation between populations. The supercooling capacity of P. apterus is strongly correlated with climatic conditions, which support the usage of SCP as an appropriate metric of cold tolerance in this species.
Highlights
Population dynamics of temperate insects can be crucially affected by their survival rates during overwintering [1]
The mean population supercooling point (SCP) was highest in the southern populations (Greece, Italy, and Spain), whereas the lowest values were reached in northern populations (Estonia and Sweden) (Figure 1)
The general linear model (GLM) revealed a significant effect of population (F15, 378 = 21.31; p < 10−7 ) and fresh mass (F1, 378 = 6.71; p < 10−3 ), but non-significant effect of sex (F16, 378 = 0.68; p = 0.82)
Summary
Population dynamics of temperate insects can be crucially affected by their survival rates during overwintering [1]. A key determinant of insect survival during winter, is an important research topic for insect ecologists and physiologists. This importance has increased with the recent climate changes around the world, especially in the Northern Hemisphere [2,3]. Researchers have identified many mechanisms affecting cold tolerance [4,5,6]. It was found to be not a single trait, but a complex set of several cold tolerance components. Cold tolerance surveys most often include determination of the supercooling point (SCP), chill coma onset (CTmin), chill coma recovery time, and lower lethal limits [7].
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