Insects have distinct life stages that can differ in their responses to environmental factors. We discuss empirical evidence and theoretical models for ontogenetic variation in thermal sensitivity and performance curves (TPCs). Data on lower thermal limits for development (T₀) demonstrate variation between stages within a species that is of comparable magnitude to variation among species; we illustrate the consequences of such ontogenetic variation for developmental responses to changing temperature. Ontogenetic variation in optimal temperatures and upper thermal limits has been reported in some systems, but current data are too limited to identify general patterns. The shapes of TPCs for different fitness components such as juvenile survival, adult fecundity, and generation time differ in characteristic ways, with important consequences for understanding fitness in varying thermal environments. We highlight a theoretical framework for incorporating ontogenetic variation into process-based models of population responses to seasonal variation and climate change.

昆虫具有不同的生命阶段，其对环境因素的反应可能不同。我们讨论了热敏感性和性能曲线（TPC）的本体变化的经验证据和理论模型。较低的开发温度限制数据（T ₀）证明一个物种内各个阶段之间的变化，其大小与物种之间的变化具有可比性；我们说明了这种个体遗传变异对温度变化的发育响应的后果。在一些系统中已经报道了最佳温度和最高热极限的本体发生变化，但是当前数据太有限以至于无法识别一般模式。用于不同适应性组件（例如青少年生存，成年生育力和世代时间）的TPC的形状在特征方面有所不同，这对于理解变化的热环境中的适应性具有重要意义。我们重点介绍了将个体遗传变异纳入基于过程的人口对季节变异和气候变化的响应模型的理论框架。