Thermal plasticity in the invasive south American tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)
South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is a devastating invasive global insect pest of tomato, Solanum lycopersicum (Solanaceae). In nature, pests face multiple overlapping environmental stressors, which may significantly influence survival. To cope with ra...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2022
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102598 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4947 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1779905311268667392 |
|---|---|
| author | Tarusikirwa, Vimbai L. Mutamiswa, Reyard English, Sinead Chidawanyika, Frank Nyamukondiwa, Casper |
| author_facet | Tarusikirwa, Vimbai L. Mutamiswa, Reyard English, Sinead Chidawanyika, Frank Nyamukondiwa, Casper |
| author_sort | Tarusikirwa, Vimbai L. |
| collection | DSpace |
| description | South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is a devastating invasive global insect pest of tomato, Solanum lycopersicum (Solanaceae). In nature, pests face multiple overlapping environmental stressors, which may significantly influence survival. To cope with rapidly changing environments, insects often employ a suite of mechanisms at both acute and chronic time-scales, thereby improving fitness at sub-optimal thermal environments. For T. absoluta, physiological responses to transient thermal variability remain under explored. Moreso, environmental effects and physiological responses may differ across insect life stages and this can have implications for population dynamics. Against this background, we investigated short and long term plastic responses to temperature of T. absoluta larvae (4th instar) and adults (24–48 h old) from field populations. We measured traits of temperature tolerance vis critical thermal limits [critical thermal minima (CTmin) and maxima (CTmax)], heat knockdown time (HKDT), chill coma recovery time (CCRT) and supercooling points (SCP). Our results showed that at the larval stage, Rapid Cold Hardening (RCH) significantly improved CTmin and HKDT but impaired SCP and CCRT. Heat hardening in larvae impaired CTmin, CCRT, SCP, CTmax but not HKDT. In adults, both heat and cold hardening generally impaired CTmin and CTmax, but had no effects on HKDT, SCP and CCRT. Low temperature acclimation significantly improved CTmin and HKDT while marginally compromising CCRT and CTmax, whereas high temperature acclimation had no significant effects on any traits except for HKDT in larvae. Similarly, low and high temperature acclimation had no effects on CTmin, SCPs and CTmax, while high temperature acclimation significantly compromised adult CCRT. Our results show that larvae are more thermally plastic than adults and can shift their thermal tolerance in short and long timescales. The larval plasticity reported here could be advantageous in new environments, suggesting an asymmetrical ecological role of larva relative to adults in facilitating T. absoluta invasion. |
| format | Article |
| id | ir-11408-4947 |
| institution | My University |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ir-11408-49472022-07-07T13:05:12Z Thermal plasticity in the invasive south American tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) Tarusikirwa, Vimbai L. Mutamiswa, Reyard English, Sinead Chidawanyika, Frank Nyamukondiwa, Casper Acclimation Environmental stress Hardening Invasive species Pinworm South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is a devastating invasive global insect pest of tomato, Solanum lycopersicum (Solanaceae). In nature, pests face multiple overlapping environmental stressors, which may significantly influence survival. To cope with rapidly changing environments, insects often employ a suite of mechanisms at both acute and chronic time-scales, thereby improving fitness at sub-optimal thermal environments. For T. absoluta, physiological responses to transient thermal variability remain under explored. Moreso, environmental effects and physiological responses may differ across insect life stages and this can have implications for population dynamics. Against this background, we investigated short and long term plastic responses to temperature of T. absoluta larvae (4th instar) and adults (24–48 h old) from field populations. We measured traits of temperature tolerance vis critical thermal limits [critical thermal minima (CTmin) and maxima (CTmax)], heat knockdown time (HKDT), chill coma recovery time (CCRT) and supercooling points (SCP). Our results showed that at the larval stage, Rapid Cold Hardening (RCH) significantly improved CTmin and HKDT but impaired SCP and CCRT. Heat hardening in larvae impaired CTmin, CCRT, SCP, CTmax but not HKDT. In adults, both heat and cold hardening generally impaired CTmin and CTmax, but had no effects on HKDT, SCP and CCRT. Low temperature acclimation significantly improved CTmin and HKDT while marginally compromising CCRT and CTmax, whereas high temperature acclimation had no significant effects on any traits except for HKDT in larvae. Similarly, low and high temperature acclimation had no effects on CTmin, SCPs and CTmax, while high temperature acclimation significantly compromised adult CCRT. Our results show that larvae are more thermally plastic than adults and can shift their thermal tolerance in short and long timescales. The larval plasticity reported here could be advantageous in new environments, suggesting an asymmetrical ecological role of larva relative to adults in facilitating T. absoluta invasion. 2022-07-07T13:05:12Z 2022-07-07T13:05:12Z 2020 Article 0306-4565 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102598 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4947 en Journal of Thermal Biology;Volume 90, 102598 open Elsevier |
| spellingShingle | Acclimation Environmental stress Hardening Invasive species Pinworm Tarusikirwa, Vimbai L. Mutamiswa, Reyard English, Sinead Chidawanyika, Frank Nyamukondiwa, Casper Thermal plasticity in the invasive south American tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) |
| title | Thermal plasticity in the invasive south American tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) |
| title_full | Thermal plasticity in the invasive south American tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) |
| title_fullStr | Thermal plasticity in the invasive south American tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thermal plasticity in the invasive south American tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) |
| title_short | Thermal plasticity in the invasive south American tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) |
| title_sort | thermal plasticity in the invasive south american tomato pinworm tuta absoluta (meyrick) (lepidoptera: gelechiidae) |
| topic | Acclimation Environmental stress Hardening Invasive species Pinworm |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102598 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4947 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tarusikirwavimbail thermalplasticityintheinvasivesouthamericantomatopinwormtutaabsolutameyricklepidopteragelechiidae AT mutamiswareyard thermalplasticityintheinvasivesouthamericantomatopinwormtutaabsolutameyricklepidopteragelechiidae AT englishsinead thermalplasticityintheinvasivesouthamericantomatopinwormtutaabsolutameyricklepidopteragelechiidae AT chidawanyikafrank thermalplasticityintheinvasivesouthamericantomatopinwormtutaabsolutameyricklepidopteragelechiidae AT nyamukondiwacasper thermalplasticityintheinvasivesouthamericantomatopinwormtutaabsolutameyricklepidopteragelechiidae |