A comparison of low temperature tolerance traits between closely related aphids from the tropics, temperate zone, and Arctic.

Steaphan Hazell, C Groutides, BP Neve, Timothy Blackburn, Jeffrey Bale

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

51 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The survival of aphids exposed to low temperatures is strongly influenced by their ability to move within and between plants and to survive exposure to potentially lethal low temperatures. Little is known about the physiological and behavioural limitations on aphid movement at low temperatures or how they may relate to lethal temperature thresholds. These questions are addressed here through an analysis of the thermal ecology of three closely related aphid species: Myzus persicae, a ubiquitous temperate zone pest, Myzus polaris, an arctic species, and Myzus ornatus, a subtropical species. Lower lethal temperatures (LLT(50)) of aphids reared at 15(o)C were similar for M. persicae and M. polaris (range: -12.7 to -13.9(o)C), but significantly higher for M. ornatus (- 6.6(o)C). The temperature thresholds for activity and chill coma increased with rearing temperature (10, 15, 20, and 25(o)C) for all clones. For M. polaris and M. ornatus the slopes of these relationships were approximately parallel; by contrast, for M. persicae the difference in slopes meant that the difference between the temperatures at which aphids cease walking and enter coma increased by approximately 0.5(o)C per 1(o)C increase in rearing temperature. The data suggest that all three species have the potential to increase population sizes and expand their ranges if low temperature limitation is relaxed.
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Insect Physiology
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 29 Aug 2009

Keywords

  • Sub-lethal
  • CTmin
  • Chill coma
  • Myzus polaris
  • Myzus ornatus
  • Aphid
  • Thermal tolerance
  • Myzus persicae
  • Lower lethal temperature (LLT50)

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