Ontogenetic thermal tolerance and performance of ectotherms at variable temperatures

Abstract

Early experience and environmental conditions during ontogeny may affect organismal structure, physiology and fitness. Here, we assessed the effect of developmental acclimation to environmental thermal variability on walking speed in Drosophila melanogaster adults. Our results showed a shift in the performance curve to the right. Thus, upper and lower thermal limits exhibited developmental plasticity. Additionally, in constant and variable climatic scenarios, flies shifted to the right the optimum temperature but the maximum performance decreased only in flies reared on high temperatures and high thermal variability. Overall, we showed that environmental cues during ontogeny might help to construct phenotypic variation, which supports the hypothesis of ontogenetic dependence of thermal tolerances.

Comparative assessment of the thermal tolerance of spotted stemborer, Chilo partellus (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and its larval parasitoid, Cotesia sesamiae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

“…This is contrary to previous studies, highlighting that mobile insect developmental stages may require less physiological protection against environmental stressors, as their mobility, may employ behavioral compensatory mechanisms in avoiding extreme conditions (Jensen et al ., ; Blanckenhorn et al ., ; Abbar et al ., ). Nevertheless, the current results are also in keeping with other previous studies documenting developmental stage‐related differences in environmental stress tolerance (Cavieres et al ., ; Klockmann et al ., ). Indeed, Zhang et al .…”

“…Since chill‐coma is reversible and locomotion easy to detect visually in mobile insects, chill‐coma recovery is often used as an ecologically sound measure of cold tolerance (Sinclair et al ., ). As in previous studies (Cavieres et al ., ; Klockmann et al ., ), the current results show that C. partellus HKDT and CCRT were significantly affected by developmental stage. Larvae took more time to be knocked down by high temperature relative to adults, suggesting an enhanced temperature tolerance, for the trait of HKDT.…”

Fluctuating thermal environments and time‐dependent effects on fruit fly egg‐hatching performance

“…Further to this, multiple studies suggest that the ability to cope with thermal fluctuations rather than just tolerate different mean temperatures is probably of much greater importance to species survival and thermal adaptation (Boher, Trefault, Estay, & Bozinovic, ; Dey, Proulx, & Teotónio, ; Kubrak, Nylin, Flatt, Nässel, & Leimar, ; Marshall & Sinclair, ). Environmental thermal variability in space and time imposes selective pressures on organisms (Bozinovic, Medina, et al., ; Clavijo‐Baquet et al., ; Gould, ; Levins, ), and performance can be affected by increased variability in temperature even if the mean temperature does not change (Bozinovic, Medina, et al., ; Cavieres, Bogdanovich, & Bozinovic, ; Vázquez, Gianoli, Morris, & Bozinovic, ). Nevertheless, little attention has been given to quantifying the effects of the duration and patterns of thermal exposure on ectotherm performance and fitness (time‐dependent effects sensu Kingsolver & Woods, ), but see Roitberg and Mangel ().…”

Transgenerational and within‐generation plasticity shape thermal performance curves

“…The fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, were used as animal model. Previously we have used this species to test hypotheses regarding the effects of thermal variability on performance and fitness (Bozinovic, Catalan, Estay, & Sabat, ; Bozinovic et al, ; Cavieres et al, ). Moreover, the phenotypic responses of this organism to environmental temperature and other climatic factors are well known (Bozinovic et al, ; Hoffmann, ; Ragland & Kingsolver, ).…”

“…Each fly was kept for 10 min at the test temperature. Each fly was tested at the following temperatures: 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 38, 39 and 40°C (see (Cavieres et al, ). All animals remained in a room at 24 ± 2°C between tests (around 10 min).…”