Effect of temperature on the post-diapause developmental rate, survival, and body mass of the solitary wasp Isodontia elegans: Implications for rearing of trap-nesting Hymenoptera. (April 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: O'Neill, Kevin M.; Delphia, Casey M.; Spendal, Ronald C.
• Is Part Of: Journal of thermal biology. Volume 113(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-04
• Subjects: Body mass -- Briere-1 model -- Pre-pupae -- Thermal gradient -- Trap-nest; D days to adult emergence -- 1/D developmental rate -- HW adult head width -- MA adult body mass -- MC cocoon mass -- MRES residual in regression of MA on HW -- TB temperature of gradient bar -- TMAX temperature above which post-diapause development ceases -- TMIN temperature above which post-diapause development occurs -- TOPT rearing temperature maximizing rate of development -- TR rearing temperature; Thermobiology -- Periodicals; Temperature -- Periodicals; Biology -- Periodicals; Thermobiologie -- Périodiques; Thermobiology; Periodicals; 571.46
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103516
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4565

Abstract

Abstract: We examined the relationship of post-diapause rearing temperature to developmental rate, survival, and adult body mass of the solitary wasp Isodontia elegans using prepupae from trap-nests. Isodontia elegans is a member of a genus often found in trap-nests in North America and Europe. Trap-nests are commonly used tools for studying cavity-nesting solitary wasps and bees. In temperate zones, progeny in nests usually overwinter as prepupae before pupating and emerging as adults. An important aspect of properly using trap-nests is determining temperatures that affect survival and health of developing offspring. After overwintering >600 cocoons containing prepupae after the summers of 2015 and 2016, we placed cocoons on a laboratory thermal gradient where offspring experienced one of 19 constant temperatures from 6 to 43 °C; emergence of adults was monitored for 100 days. Our conservative estimate for the critical thermal minimum for development is 14 °C, whereas that for the critical maximum is ∼33 °C. Prepupae transitioned to adults most rapidly at 29–33 °C, but developmental rate was lower for some progeny exposed to temperatures ≥30 °C. Offspring successfully reached the adult stage in <100 days at of temperatures of ∼19–33 °C. Adults from cocoons reared at lower temperatures weighed on average 6–10% more than expected based on their head widths, whereas those reared at higher temperatures weighed 4–10% less than expected. The difference may be due to greater rates of water loss and lipid metabolism during development at higher temperatures. Pre-overwintering cocoon mass was a significant predictor of relative adult body mass, indicating that adult health is partly related to their condition before overwintering. The trends we observed were similar to those for the bee Megachile rotundata, which we previously studied on the same gradient apparatus. However, data is needed on many other species of wasps and bees from a diversity of environments. Highlights: Trap-nests are commonly used in studies of the ecology and behavior of solitary wasps and bees. Rate of post-diapause development of Isodontia elegans varied non-linearly with temperature. Adults can be successfully produced over a wide range of temperatures. Adult condition, measured by body mass at emergence, declines as temperature increases.