Can temperate insects take the heat? A case study of the physiological and behavioural responses in a common ant, Iridomyrmex purpureus (Formicidae), with potential climate change

Andrew, Nigel R.; Hart, Robert A. de J.; Jung, Myung-Pyo; Hemmings, Zac; Terblanche, John S.

doi:10.1016/j.jinsphys.2013.06.003

Cited by 112 publications

(122 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…Warming tolerance will vary depending on whether macroclimate or microclimatic conditions are being used for the calculations, with some investigations showing greater WT in microclimate conditions and others revealing the converse (see Andrew et al ., 2013; Sunday et al ., 2014; Pincebourde and Casas, 2015). Experimental rates of change routinely experienced by organisms are also likely to influence estimates of critical thermal maximum, which in turn means that their effects will affect estimates of warming tolerance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactions between rates of temperature change and acclimation affect latitudinal patterns of warming tolerance

et al. 2016

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactions between rates of temperature change and acclimation affect latitudinal patterns of warming tolerance

et al. 2016

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“…Iridomyrmex are highly active and aggressive and exert a strong competitive influence on other ants (Andersen 1995). Species of Iridomyrmex can also have a wide thermal tolerance, for example the widely distributed I. purpureus is surface active at soil surface temperatures ranging from 13°C to 63°C (Andrew et al 2013b). Within our study, Iridomyrmex were found at all sites spanning a 1000 m elevation gradient and represented 40 % of all specimens collected.…”

Section: Predictions For Different Species and Functional Groupsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, the central Australian ant Melophorus bagoti is most active in the field when soil surface temperature is 60°C, and can tolerate soil surface temperatures up to 70°C (Christian and Morton 1992). In contrast, the Dominant Dolichoderinae Iridomyrmex purpueus has been shown to cease foraging when soil surface temperatures exceed 63°C (Andrew et al 2013b).…”

Section: Predictions For Different Species and Functional Groupsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Additive and synergistic effects of land cover, land use and climate on insect biodiversity

et al. 2016

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Context We address the issue of adapting landscapes for improved insect biodiversity conservation in a changing climate by assessing the importance of additive (main) and synergistic (interaction) effects of land cover and land use with climate. Objectives We test the hypotheses that ant richness (species and genus), abundance and diversity would vary according to land cover and land use intensity but that these effects would vary according to climate. Methods We used a 1000 m elevation gradient in eastern Australia (as a proxy for a climate gradient) and sampled ant biodiversity along this gradient from sites with variable land cover and land use. Results Main effects revealed: higher ant richness (species and genus) and diversity with greater native woody plant canopy cover; and lower species richness with higher cultivation and grazing intensity, bare ground and exotic plant groundcover. Interaction effects revealed: both the positive effects of native plant canopy cover on ant species richness and abundance, and the negative effects of exotic plant groundcover on species richness were greatest at sites with warmer and drier climates. Conclusions Impacts of climate change on insect biodiversity may be mitigated to some degree through landscape adaptation by increasing woody native vegetation cover and by reducing land use intensity, the cover of exotic vegetation and of bare ground. Evidence of synergistic effects suggests that landscape adaptation may be most effective in areas which are currently warmer and drier, or are projected to become so as a result of climate change.

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“…In the case of ontogenetic variation, it is generally thought that less mobile life-stages are more physiologically plastic as they cannot easily cope with extreme environments through behavioural thermoregulation [38]. However, physiological mechanisms have been recently reported to be more important in mitigating the damage caused by heat than behavioural responses in several insects [39–41]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Thermal Regimes, Starvation and Age on Heat Tolerance of the Parthenium Beetle Zygogramma bicolorata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) following Dynamic and Static Protocols

et al. 2017

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Temperature and resource availability are key elements known to limit the occurrence and survival of arthropods in the wild. In the current era of climate change, critical thermal limits and the factors affecting these may be of particular importance. We therefore investigated the critical thermal maxima (CTmax) of adult Zygogramma bicolorata beetles, a biological control agent for the invasive plant Parthenium hysterophorus, in relation to thermal acclimation, hardening, age, and food availability using static (constant) and dynamic (ramping) protocols. Increasing temperatures and exposure times reduced heat survival. In general, older age and lack of food reduced heat tolerance, suggesting an important impact of resource availability. Acclimation at constant temperatures did not affect CTmax, while fluctuating thermal conditions resulted in a substantial increase. Hardening at 33°C and 35°C improved heat survival in fed young and mid-aged but only partly in old beetles, while CTmax remained unaffected by hardening throughout. These findings stress the importance of methodology when assessing heat tolerance. Temperature data recorded in the field revealed that upper thermal limits are at least occasionally reached in nature. Our results therefore suggest that the occurrence of heat waves may influence the performance and survival of Z. bicolorata, potentially impacting on its field establishment and effectiveness as a biological control agent.

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Can temperate insects take the heat? A case study of the physiological and behavioural responses in a common ant, Iridomyrmex purpureus (Formicidae), with potential climate change

Cited by 112 publications

References 71 publications

Interactions between rates of temperature change and acclimation affect latitudinal patterns of warming tolerance

Interactions between rates of temperature change and acclimation affect latitudinal patterns of warming tolerance

Additive and synergistic effects of land cover, land use and climate on insect biodiversity

Effects of Thermal Regimes, Starvation and Age on Heat Tolerance of the Parthenium Beetle Zygogramma bicolorata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) following Dynamic and Static Protocols

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