Multilevel climatic responses in migratory insects

Abstract

Abstract Evidence is mounting that migration in ectotherms is more widespread than formerly believed. Thus, a number of insects living in temperate climates, including locusts, butterflies, moths and dragonflies, following seasonal migration strategies show high responsiveness to alterations in climatic processes, similar to a broad taxonomic range of birds. On global scales, migratory insects include iconic large butterflies, dragonflies and also a number of crop pests. However, insect migrations are ecologically distinct from those of vertebrates, often relying heavily on seasonal winds and multiple generations to complete a full annual cycle, due to short insect life spans. Here, we review publicly available online resources to identify key patterns of spatial, taxonomic scales and complexity of climatic responsiveness to environmental predictors in migratory insects. We found that migratory insects respond to various levels of complexity in climatic patterns, and these responses are predicted by life history and ecological traits: (i) responses to climatic effect type were predicted by climate zone(s) of the distribution area, whereas (ii) response to climatic complexity was predicted by body size. In conclusion, migratory insects respond to various levels of complexity in climatic processes, and this responsiveness is governed by a substantially wider array of environmental predictors than demonstrated in vertebrates.