Cold and heat tolerance of drosophilid flies with reference to their latitudinal distributions

Abstract

The relation between thermal tolerance and latitudinal distribution was studied with 30 drosophilid species collected from the cool-temperate region (Sapporo), the warm-temperate region (Tokyo and Kyoto) and the subtropical region (Iriomote island) in Japan. In addition, intraspecific variation was examined for five species collected from two localities. The subtropical strains of Scaptodrosophila coracina, Drosophila bizonata and D. daruma were less tolerant to cold than their temperate strains. However, the difference of cold tolerance between these two geographic strains was much smaller than the difference between the species restricted to the subtropical region and those occurring in the temperate region. In D. auraria and D. suzukii, no difference was observed in thermal tolerance between their cool- and warm-temperate strains. Thus, geographic variation in thermal tolerance within species was low or negligible. Interspecific comparisons by phylogenetic independent contrasts revealed that species which had the northern boundaries of their distributions at higher latitudes were generally more tolerant to cold than those which had their boundaries at lower latitudes. However, the data for some species did not agree with this trend. The use of man-protected warm places for overwintering, competition or predation would also affect their distributions. It also appeared that species which had their southern boundaries at higher latitudes were generally more cold-tolerant. The acquisition of cold tolerance may lower a fly's capacity to compete, survive or reproduce in warmer climates. On the other hand, no relation was observed between heat tolerance and latitudinal distribution. Heat tolerance was higher in species inhabiting openlands or the forest canopy than in those inhabiting the forest understorey.

Thermal Tolerances of the Spotted-Wing DrosophilaDrosophila suzukii(Diptera: Drosophilidae)

“…However, others have observed similar results for this species. In a study of the temperature tolerance of several Drosophilids sampled across latitudinal gradients in Japan, Kimura (2004) found that several species showed intraspecific differences in thermal tolerance depending on geographical origin. However, in the case of D. suzukii, Kimura found no difference in tolerance between cool-temperate and warm-temperate geographical strains.…”

The relative contributions of developmental plasticity and adult acclimation to physiological variation in the tsetse fly, Glossina pallidipes (Diptera, Glossinidae)

“…Although a more pronounced acclimation effect on lower than on upper limits is not universal [e.g. the converse has been found the caterpillars of the moth Embryonopsis halticella (Klok and Chown, 1998)], it does seem to be typical of most ectotherms (Kingsolver and Huey, 1998 Metabolic rate difference (ml CO 2 h -1 ) * * geographic variation in thermal limits, and in the responses of these limits to selection (Addo-Bediako et al, 2000;Chen et al, 1990;Chown, 2001;Gaston and Chown, 1999;Gilchrist et al, 1997;Hercus et al, 2000;Hoffmann et al, 1997;Kimura, 2004;Stanley et al, 1980;Terblanche et al, 2005b). Increases in metabolic rate of the G. pallidipes adults with adult exposure to low temperature seems to be typical of this group of tsetse flies because it has also been found in Glossina morsitans.…”

Threatening the Harvest: The Threat from Three Invasive Insects in Late Season Vineyards

“…The range of drosophilids is limited by cold tolerance. In an effort to predict the ability of selected drosophilid species to expand their geographic ranges, Kimura ( 2004 ) (Lethal Temperature) of northern and southern strains of several species. There was little difference in northern and southern representative strains of SWD.…”

“…However, this study used non-adapted, non-diapausing individuals for testing, and their conclusions may be conservative. Although a congeneric species, D. lutescens Okada, cannot tolerate winter conditions in Sapporo, Japan, it is common in this region in summer and autumn (Kimura 2004 ) . This period is the most problematic for SWD management in vineyards.…”