Spring warming increases the abundance of an invasive specialist insect: links to phenology and life history

Abstract

Under global warming, shifts in phenological synchrony between insects and host plants (i.e., changes in the relative timing of the interaction) may reduce resource availability to specialist insects. Some specialists, however, can flexibly track the shifts in host-plant phenology, allowing them to obtain sufficient resources and therefore to benefit from rising temperatures. Here, we investigated the effects of experimental warming on the life history of an invasive, specialist lace bug (Corythucha ciliata) and on the leaf expansion of its host plant (Platanus × acerifolia) in two spring seasons under field conditions in Shanghai, China. We found that a 2 °C increase in mean air temperature advanced the timing of the expansion of host leaves and of the activities of overwintering adult insects in both years but did not disrupt their synchrony. Warming also directly increased the reproduction of overwintering adults and enhanced the development and survival of their offspring. These results indicate that C. ciliata can well track the earlier emergence of available resources in response to springtime warming. Such plasticity, combined with the direct effects of rising temperatures, may increase the insect’s population size and outbreak potential in eastern China under climate warming.

Quantification of migrant hoverfly movements (Diptera: Syrphidae) on the West Coast of North America

“…For example, during the first part of 2017, Central Coast California saw the highest rainfall since 1998 and warm spring temperatures (electronic supplementary material, file S5). Warmer spring temperatures have been shown to increase reproduction in overwintering insects and enhance the development and survival of their offspring [15]. By contrast, 2018 was a poorer year with a late spring and we failed to observe migration in the same area, albeit only over a two-week window of observation in April.…”

Tight insect–host phenological synchrony constrains the life‐history strategy of European pine sawfly

“…Insect–host phenological synchronization could be altered if plant and herbivore respond differentially to climate change (Watt & McFarlane, ; Schwartzberg et al ., ; Wang et al ., ; Ju et al ., ). This could present substantial challenges for spring foliage feeders that are especially sensitive to changes in host synchrony (van Ash & Visser, ).…”

A novel experimental approach for studying life-history traits of phytophagous arthropods utilizing an artificial culture medium

“…The case is even more crucial as it relates to species of high economic importance, for example phytophagous pests, as proper estimation of life-history traits may help in assessing their invasive potential and predicting their possible outbreaks. Such studies are of current interest and have been recently conducted on different phytophagous taxa 7,47,48 . However, experimental investigations on minute arthropods can be problematic due to their small size, especially if the research approach requires direct observation of single individuals.…”