Abstract
Abstract. The potential for medium‐time, low‐temperature storage was compared in diapausing larvae of two populations of Aphidoletes aphidimyza, a predatory midge used to control aphids in greenhouses. During 4 months of storage, no statistical decrease of survival rate (c. 75%) was observed in the population Palamos (field collected). However, a significant decrease (below 50%) was recorded in the population Biobest (commercial, selected for the best performance in greenhouses). Measuring physiological parameters related to the rate of diapause development revealed that the larvae of the population Palamos (in contrast to Biobest) showed a significant metabolic suppression even at the relatively high temperature of 17°C, a slower rate of glycogen depletion during storage at 3°C and a longer duration of diapause development (a higher intensity of diapause, collectively). A higher capacity for survival at subzero temperatures (cold hardiness), in either the supercooled or frozen state, was also found in the Palamos population. It is suggested that the higher survival at low‐temperature storage might be linked directly to the higher diapause intensity. It remains unclear, however, whether and how the performance during low‐temperature storage is linked to the capacity for cold hardiness.
Published Version
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