Original paper

Impact of heat stress on the development of egg and adult coccinellid Serangium japonicum: evidence for cross-stage and cross-generation effects

Yao, Feng-Luan; Ding, Xue-Ling; Mei, Wen-Juan; Zheng, Yu; Desneux, Nicolas; He, Yu-Xian; Weng, Qi-Yong

Entomologia Generalis Volume 40 Number 4 (2020), p. 365 - 376

published: Dec 17, 2020
published online: Nov 4, 2020
manuscript accepted: Sep 1, 2020
manuscript revision received: Jul 8, 2020
manuscript revision requested: Jul 1, 2020
manuscript received: May 12, 2020

DOI: 10.1127/entomologia/2020/1096

BibTeX file

ArtNo. ESP146004004003, Price: 29.00 €

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Abstract

Arthropod biological control agents are at risk due to climate change, since heat stress negatively impacts their life history traits. Here, we investigated ontogenetic variation of thermal sensitivity in an important whitefly predator, Serangium japonicum Chapin (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). In particular, we evaluated the impact of heat shock on survival rate, development, and reproduction of S. japonicum, and checked whether the negative effects resulting from heat stress are stage-related. The two most heat-tolerant stages of S. japonicum (egg and adult) were exposed to heat shock treatments at 36, 39, and 42 ºC for 2 h, and 36 and 39 ºC for 4 h. We found that heat shock significantly reduced egg-to-adult survival rate, extended egg-to-adult development time, and decreased fecundity and oviposition period compared to control (27 ºC). The sex ratio however was not affected. Eggs exposed to heat shock led to adults whose weight and longevity were considerably reduced. The detrimental effects that resulted from heat shock were carried over to later life stages and even the next generation. Those carry-over effects were independent of stage except for egg-to-adult development time and adult weight. Our results suggest that releasing eggs or adults into fields or greenhouses makes little difference in reducing any negative impact on the developmental performance of S. japonicum induced by heat stress in a warming climate.

Keywords

climate change • heat stress • biological control • lady beetle • development