The importance of fat accumulation and reserves for insect overwintering

Enriquez, Thomas; Visser, Bertanne

doi:10.1016/j.cois.2023.101118

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 57 publications

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“…Overwintering insects are facing energetic challenges because of e.g., missing access to food, low temperature and desiccation stress (e.g., Denlinger and Lee 2010 ; Lee and Denlinger 1991 ; Overgaard et al 2007 ; Sinclair 2015 ; Enriques and Visser 2023 ; Turnbull et al 2023 ). Finding proper places for overwintering, adapting physiologically to winter environmental conditions, and keeping a diapause help to reduce the consumption of energy reserves.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The costs of overwintering in paper wasps (Polistes dominula and Polistes gallicus): the use of energy stores

Stabentheiner,

Mauerhofer,

Willfurth

et al. 2024

J Comp Physiol B

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Overwintering insects are facing energetic challenges because of food shortage, low temperature, and desiccation stress. Paper wasps of the genus Polistes overwinter as mated adults (gynes) in hibernacula protecting them from predation, snow, and rain but barely from low environmental temperature. In different climates, they face differing overwintering temperature regimes, and therefore they may differ in their energy use. We investigated how much of energy resources built up until autumn is used during diapause dormancy in natural hibernacula by measuring lipid, glycogen, and free carbohydrate content in autumn and early spring in Polistes dominula from temperate European (Austrian) and warm Mediterranean (Italian) climate and Polistes gallicus from Mediterranean climate. Winter energy consumption amounted to ~ 339 and ~ 310 J per wasp in the Austrian and Italian Polistes dominula populations. The smaller Italian Polistes gallicus consumed ~ 247 J. This amounts to 2.62, 2.35, and 1.79 J per day. Of this, the energy demand was mainly fuelled by lipids (84%, 93%, and 90%, respectively), but glycogen stores contributed also considerably (16%, 6%, and 9%). Free carbohydrates decreased only by 0.7%, 1%, and 0.8%. While fat stores seem still sufficient in spring, the wasps depleted most of their carbohydrates. The energy reserves of 396, 400, and 147 J per wasp remaining in spring in the three populations seem sufficient to fuel rest or simple brood care activities for a whole summer but restrict foraging flights to a few hours (~ 3.5–6 h). Results suggest that energy supply might become challenging in expected future climate scenarios.

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