Temperature effects on “overwintering” phenology of a polyphagous, tropical fruit fly (Tephritidae) at the subtropical/temperate interface

Abstract

AbstractAround the world, several pest tephritids are extending their ranges from warm tropical or Mediterranean climates into cooler temperate regions. The ability to tolerate climatic diversity is uncommon among insects, and understanding the population phenology drivers of such species across different parts of their range will be critical for their management. Here, we determined the role of temperature versus fruit availability on the population phenology of Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni. Using a field site located at the subtropical/temperate interface, with host fruits continuously available, we monitored the development times and abundance of B. tryoni, a species which has invaded temperate Australia from the tropics. From fruit samples held at ambient and controlled conditions, the abundance of emerging flies was highly variable among collection dates, but the variance did not reflect the observed changes in temperature. For most samples, the survival rate of flies in a field site was lower than predicted by a day‐degree population model fitted with mean daily field temperatures. The development time of the immature stage in the field was prolonged, presumably due to cooler ambient conditions, but the fitted day‐degree population model consistently over‐predicted estimated development times. Our results indicate that at the subtropical/temperate interface, the decline in B. tryoni populations during winter is only partly driven by temperature and host availability. We classify B. tryoni as a climate generalist, which likely employs physiological as well as behavioural mechanisms to achieve broad climatic tolerance ranges.