Cold hardiness adaptations of codling moth, cydia pomonella

Diapause of the Western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens (Diptera: Tephritidae): metabolic rate and overwintering adaptations

The Western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens (Curran), is a Tephritid fly in the Pacific Northwest and is known to infest native bitter cherry, Prunus emarginata (Douglas ex Hooker), which is distributed throughout the Cascade Mountain range. This species occupies temperate to alpine climates and exhibits overwintering adaptations of diapause and supercooling. Isothermal and differential scanning calorimetry were used to determine the effects of diapause chilling duration and post-chilling warm rearing on the metabolic rate and supercooling point of R. indifferens. Previous studies have included the effects of chilling duration on post-diapause development and emergence as well as on the levels of metabolic reserves. Metabolic rate of R. indifferens, was used to calculate the ability of this species to remain in diapause for more than 1 yr as well as predicting the potential effects of climate change on the future abundance and distribution. It was determined that R. indifferens could diapause for more than 1 yr based on the levels of metabolic reserves and metabolic rate.

Costs of averting or prematurely terminating diapause associated with slow decline of metabolic rates at low temperature

Diapause, a form of insect dormancy, generally facilitates overwintering by increasing cold tolerance and decreasing energy drain at high temperatures via metabolic rate suppression. Averting or terminating diapause prior to winter is generally assumed to be a lethal phenotype. However, low temperature acclimation can also increase cold tolerance and decrease metabolic rates. Here, we tested the hypothesis that non- and post-diapause individuals in a cold-induced quiescence can achieve a diapause-like phenotype, compensating for the potential costs of averting diapause. We tested this in the apple maggot fly Rhagoletis pomonella, which typically overwinters in the soil as a diapause pupa, but can avert diapause (non-diapause) or terminate diapause early ('weak diapause') when reared at warm temperatures. Metabolic rates were initially higher in non- and post-diapause than diapause pupae at high (25 °C) and low (4 °C) temperatures, but quiescent non- and post-diapause pupae achieved diapause-like metabolic rates slowly over time when incubated at 4 °C for several weeks. We found that diapause and quiescent pupae were freeze-avoidant and had similar tolerance of extreme low temperatures (cooling to c. -18 °C) following 8 weeks acclimation at 4 °C. Despite high tolerance of subzero temperatures, quiescent pupae did not survive well when chilled for prolonged periods (8 weeks or more) at 4 °C. We conclude that cold acclimation can only partially compensate for costs associated with aversion or premature termination of diapause, and that energy drain at low (not just high) temperatures likely contributes to chilling mortality in quiescent insects.

Cold hardiness of the South American tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae): both larvae and adults are chill-susceptible

BACKGROUND

For many insects, including invasive species, overwintering survival is achieved behaviourally (e.g. through migration) or physiologically by entering diapause, a state of arrested physiological development that may be accompanied with depressed supercooling points (SCPs). Diapause allows in situ adaptation to adverse environmental conditions, providing sufficient parent propagules for insect pest proliferation when optimal conditions resurface. This phenomenon has however not been observed in the invasive South American tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta in its Mediterranean invaded areas. Moreover, no studies have looked at its overwintering survival in sub-Saharan Africa. Here, we thus investigated the cold hardiness of Tuta absoluta larvae and adults to better explain its local overwintering adaptation strategy.

RESULTS

Larval lower lethal temperatures ranged from -1 to -17 °C for 0.5 to 4 h durations. Adults showed lower temperature activity limits than larvae albeit freeze strategy experiments showed neither survived internal freezing. Fasting and dehydration pre-treatment generally depressed SCPs, although asymmetrically, conferring more negative SCPs for larvae. Ramping rates, synonymic to diurnal temperature changes also significantly affected SCPs while, inoculative freezing significantly compromised freezing temperatures in both larvae and adults.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that (i) Tuta absoluta larvae and adults are chill-susceptible and may successfully overwinter, (ii) larvae appear more cold hardy than adults and (iii) ecological factors e.g. inoculative freezing, cooling rates, feeding- and hydration-status may affect cold hardiness. These results are important in determining species range limits, population phenology, modelling pest risk status and allows temporal life-stage specific targeting of management strategies.

Better cold tolerance of Bt-resistant Spodoptera exigua strain and the corresponding cold-tolerant mechanism

Spodoptera exigua is a secondary target pest of Bt cotton commercialized in China. With the continuous adoption of Bt cotton, populations of S. exigua have gradually increased. However, the cold tolerance ability of Bt-resistant S. exigua and the effect of continuous Bt diet on anti-cold materials are unknown. In our study, it was found that Bt-resistant S. exigua (Bt10) developed better with shorter larval and pupal duration and higher pupation rate compared to CK at the suboptimal low temperature. The supercooling points and freezing points of the Bt-resistant S. exigua strain were determined, and body water content and anti-cold materials such as total sugar, trehalose and glycogen, glycerol and fat were examined to explore the effect of Bt toxin on overwintering and on population increase. The results showed that the supercooling point and the freezing point of the Bt-resistant S. exigua pupae were both significantly lower than that of the Bt-susceptible strain. No difference was found in the body water content of pupae and adults between the two strains. Total sugar content of the Bt-resistant strain at both the pupal and adult stages was higher than that of the susceptible strain at the corresponding stages, and glycogen content of the Bt-resistant strain at the larval stage was higher than that of the susceptible larval S. exigua. Fat content of the Bt-resistant larvae, pupae and adults was for each higher than that of the susceptible strain, but the difference was not significant except for that of the 3rd instar larvae. Glycerol content of the Bt-resistant strain at larval, pupal and adult stages was for each higher than that of the corresponding life stages of the susceptible strain. It can be seen that more glycerol was accumulated in Bt-resistant S. exigua. The results indicate that Bt-resistant S. exigua has better cold tolerance. The contents of the anti-freeze substances of progeny, especially glycerol, were increased after previous generations were continuously fed on Bt protein, which means that the Bt-resistant secondary target pests could more easily overcome the overwinter season and become a source of crop damage the following year.

Effects of seasonal acclimation on cold tolerance and biochemical status of the carob moth, Ectomyelois ceratoniae Zeller, last instar larvae

The carob moth, Ectomyelois ceratoniae, a pest of Punica granatum, overwinters as a larva. In this study, physiological changes, water content, cold hardiness and supercooling points (SCPs) in relation to ambient temperature in the overwintering period (October to March) and changes of these factors between diapausing (February) and non-diapausing (September) larvae were studied. Pupae that were derived from diapausing larvae (April) and from non-diapausing larvae (August) were also compared. Total body sugar, lipid and protein contents increased with decrease in the temperature and reached the highest levels (12.82, 1.99 and 6.11 mg g-1 body weight, respectively) in February, but glycogen content decreased and reached the lowest level (1.12 mg g-1 body weight) in February. There were significant differences in the levels of these compounds between diapausing and non-diapausing larvae, and pupae that were derived from diapausing and non-diapausing larvae. Trehalose and myo-inositol contents increased during diapause and reached the highest levels (0.50 and 0.07 mg g-1 body weight, respectively) in February. There were significant differences in the levels of these compounds between diapausing and non-diapausing larvae, but the differences between pupae that were derived from diapausing and non-diapausing larvae were not significant. The SCP of diapausing larvae (-17.3 °C) was significantly lower than in the non-diapausing larvae (-12.0 °C). SCP decreased gradually in autumn and reached the lowest level in the middle of winter. Changes of cold hardiness were inversely proportional to SCP changes. The lowest levels of water (65%) and weight (43.13 mg) were recorded in January and March, respectively. Most probably, lipids play a role as energy reserve, and low-molecular weight carbohydrates and polyols provide cryoprotection for overwintering larvae of the carob moth. Since the overwintering larvae die at temperatures above the SCP, the carob moth larvae were found to be a chill-intolerant insect.

Seasonal changes in the composition of storage and membrane lipids in overwintering larvae of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella

The codling moth (Cydia pomonella) is a major insect pest of apples worldwide. It overwinters as a diapausing fifth instar larva. The overwintering is often a critical part of the insect life-cycle in temperate zone. This study brings detailed analysis of seasonal changes in lipid composition and fluidity in overwintering larvae sampled in the field. Fatty acid composition of triacylglycerol (TG) depots in the fat body and relative proportions of phospholipid (PL) molecular species in biological membranes were analyzed. In addition, temperature of melting (Tm) in TG depots was assessed by using differential scanning calorimetry and the conformational order (fluidity) of PL membranes was analyzed by measuring the anisotropy of fluorescence polarization of diphenylhexatriene probe in membrane vesicles. We observed a significant increase of relative proportion of linoleic acid (C18:2n6) at the expense of palmitic acid (C16:0) in TG depots during the larval transition to diapause accompanied with decreasing melting temperature of total lipids, which might increase the accessibility of depot fats for enzymatic breakdown during overwintering. The fluidity of membranes was maintained very high irrespective of developmental mode or seasonally changing acclimation status of larvae. The seasonal changes in PL composition were relatively small. We discuss these results in light of alternative survival strategies of codling moth larvae (supercooling vs. freezing), variability and low predictability of environmental conditions, and other cold tolerance mechanisms such as extending the supercooling capacity and massive accumulation of cryoprotective metabolites.

Cold temperatures increase cold hardiness in the next generation Ophraella communa beetles

The leaf beetle, Ophraella communa, has been introduced to control the spread of the common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, in China. We hypothesized that the beetle, to be able to track host-range expansion into colder climates, can phenotypically adapt to cold temperatures across generations. Therefore, we questioned whether parental experience of colder temperatures increases cold tolerance of the progeny. Specifically, we studied the demography, including development, fecundity, and survival, as well as physiological traits, including supercooling point (SCP), water content, and glycerol content of O. communa progeny whose parents were maintained at different temperature regimes. Overall, the entire immature stage decreased survival of about 0.2%-4.2% when parents experienced cold temperatures compared to control individuals obtained from parents raised at room temperature. However, intrinsic capacity for increase (r), net reproductive rate (R 0) and finite rate of increase (λ) of progeny O. communa were maximum when parents experienced cold temperatures. Glycerol contents of both female and male in progeny was significantly higher when maternal and paternal adults were cold acclimated as compared to other treatments. This resulted in the supercooling point of the progeny adults being significantly lower compared to beetles emerging from parents that experienced room temperatures. These results suggest that cold hardiness of O. communa can be promoted by cold acclimation in previous generation, and it might counter-balance reduced survival in the next generation, especially when insects are tracking their host-plants into colder climates.

Overwintering strategy and mechanisms of cold tolerance in the codling moth (Cydia pomonella)

Background

The codling moth (Cydia pomonella) is a major insect pest of apples worldwide. Fully grown last instar larvae overwinter in diapause state. Their overwintering strategies and physiological principles of cold tolerance have been insufficiently studied. No elaborate analysis of overwintering physiology is available for European populations.

Principal Findings

We observed that codling moth larvae of a Central European population prefer to overwinter in the microhabitat of litter layer near the base of trees. Reliance on extensive supercooling, or freeze-avoidance, appears as their major strategy for survival of the winter cold. The supercooling point decreases from approximately −15.3°C during summer to −26.3°C during winter. Seasonal extension of supercooling capacity is assisted by partial dehydration, increasing osmolality of body fluids, and the accumulation of a complex mixture of winter specific metabolites. Glycogen and glutamine reserves are depleted, while fructose, alanine and some other sugars, polyols and free amino acids are accumulated during winter. The concentrations of trehalose and proline remain high and relatively constant throughout the season, and may contribute to the stabilization of proteins and membranes at subzero temperatures. In addition to supercooling, overwintering larvae acquire considerable capacity to survive at subzero temperatures, down to −15°C, even in partially frozen state.

Conclusion

Our detailed laboratory analysis of cold tolerance, and whole-winter survival assays in semi-natural conditions, suggest that the average winter cold does not represent a major threat for codling moth populations. More than 83% of larvae survived over winter in the field and pupated in spring irrespective of the overwintering microhabitat (cold-exposed tree trunk or temperature-buffered litter layer).

Study on the physiology of diapause, cold hardiness and supercooling point of overwintering pupae of the pistachio fruit hull borer, Arimania comaroffi

The pistachio fruit hull borer, Arimania comaroffi (Ragonot) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a key pest of pistachio orchards in Iran. This pest passes the winter as diapausing pupae. In this study, some physiological changes in relation to environmental temperature were investigated in field collected pupae. The relationship between supercooling point, cold hardiness and physiological changes of a wild population of this pest was also investigated. The glycogen content decreased with decrease in environmental temperature. Decrease in glycogen content was proportional to increase in total body sugar, trehalose, myo-inositol and sorbitol contents. In January with mean ambient temperature of 5.4°C, glycogen (5 mg/g fresh body weight) content was at the lowest level whereas total body sugar (10.3 mg/g fresh body weight), trehalose (8.6 mg/g fresh body weight), myo-inositol (5.3 mg/g fresh body weight) and sorbitol (2.6 mg/g fresh body weight) were at the highest levels. Total body sugar, trehalose, myo-inositol and sorbitol contents increased as mean temperature decreased from 22.7°C in October to 5.4°C in January. Total body lipid decreased during overwintering and reached to the lowest level at the end of March. Supercooling points were decreased from October to January and reached to the lowest level (-16°C) in January with minimum ambient temperature of -10°C. Survival at low temperature after 24 h was also greatest in January with 72% survival at -10°C, 39% survival at -15°C and 0% survival at -20°C. Increase in temperature from February onward, was proportional with increase in supercooling points and decrease in survival rate. Regardless of sampling date, all pupae died after 24 h at -20°C, whereas none pupae died after 24 h at -5°C. This indicates that this insect is freeze-intolerant.

Fate of codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in harvested apples held under short photoperiod

Codling moth, Cydia pomonella L., is a cosmopolitan pest of pome and stone fruits. It has been identified as a quarantine pest of concern in a number of countries where it is not known to occur, most of them tropical or subtropical countries. Although considerable work has been done on the basic biology and physiology of this temperate pest, little is known on its potential to develop and establish in tropical environments with short photoperiods and few to no days below 10 degrees C. Apples were harvested over three field seasons (2007-2009) from unmanaged orchards in central Washington State and subjected to simulated commercial cold storage at 1.1 +/- 2 degrees C for up to 119 d. After cold storage, infested fruits were held at 20 degrees C under a 12:12 L:D photoperiod for up to 6 mo. Over the entire experiment only 27% of the larvae collected exited the fruit and cocooned. Of those 27%, only 1.06% of larvae held under a 12:12 L:D photoperiod successfully emerged as moths. No moths emerged when host fruit would be available in a representative importing country in the tropics over the 3 yr of testing. These results indicate that codling moth in apples from the Pacific Northwest pose little threat of surviving and establishing in tropical regions where daylength is insufficient to break diapause and the chilling requirement is not met.

Relationships between body weight of overwintering larvae and supercooling capacity; diapause intensity and post-diapause reproductive potential in Chilo suppressalis Walker

The rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis Walker, overwinters in China as a larva in facultative diapause. The instars and body weights of overwintering larvae vary widely. In this paper, the relationships between body weight and supercooling capacity, diapause intensity and post-diapause reproductive potential of overwintering larvae collected in late-stage rice field were examined. There was a significant positive correlation between body weight, instar, and head capsule width, thus the overwintering larvae were divided into five groups based on body weight (I, up to 35.0mg; II, 35.1-57.0mg; III, 57.1-79.0mg; IV, 79.1-101.0mg; and V, over 101.1mg) for further analysis. The body water content of the lighter group (I) was significantly higher than that of the heavier groups (IV-V). However, the mean supercooling point decreased with an increase of the mean larval body weight in five groups; mean supercooling point of group I was significantly lower than that of group V, except in January 2009. After transfer of overwintering larvae to 15, 20 and 25°C on different dates, smaller individuals pupated slightly faster than larger ones at the same temperature, suggesting that diapause was less intense in smaller overwintering larvae. On 19 March 2009 there was a strong positive correlation between larval body weight and the weight of 3 day-old pupae, and the number of eggs carried by 2 day-old adult females at 15, 20 and 25°C. The average number of eggs carried by 2 day-old adult females differed significantly among different groups. The average number of eggs carried by 2 day-old adult females in group V was significantly greater than those of other groups, and that of group I was significantly lower than those of other groups, suggesting that post-diapause reproductive potential was determined, to a certain extent, by body weight of the overwintering larvae.

Cold hardiness and supercooling capacity in the overwintering larvae of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella

The codling moth, Cydia pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), a worldwide apple pest, is classified as a freeze-intolerant organism and one of the most cold-tolerant pests. The objectives of this study were to examine the supercooling point of overwintering and non-diapausing larvae of C. pomonella as an index of its cold hardiness, and to assess larval mortality following 24 h exposure to extreme low temperatures ranging from -5 to -25 degrees C. The mean (+/-SE) supercooling point for feeding larvae (third through fifth instars) was -12.4 +/- 1.1 degrees C. The mean supercooling point for cocooned, non-diapausing larvae (i.e., non-feeding stages) decreased as the days that the arvae were cocooned increased and changed between -15.1 +/- 1.2 degrees C for one to two day cocooned arvae and -19.2 +/- 1.8 degrees C for less than five day cocooned larvae. The mean (+/-SE) supercooling point for other non-feeding stages containing pupae and overwintering larvae were -19.9 +/- 1.0 degrees C and -20.2 +/- 0.2 degrees C, respectively. Mean supercooling points of C. pomonella larvae were significantly lower during the winter months than the summer months, and sex had no effect on the supercooling point of C. pomonella larvae. The mortality of larvae increased significantly after individuals were exposed to temperatures below the mean supercooling point of the population. The supercooling point was a good predictor of cold hardiness.

Changes of cold hardiness, supercooling capacity, and major cryoprotectants in overwintering larvae of Chilo suppressalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

The rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis Walker, which is a key rice pest in northern parts of Iran, overwinters in rice stubble and weeds as mature larvae. Diapause of this pest is initiated between October to November and terminates in March. Seasonal variations in the supercooling point, survival at low temperatures, and sugar contents were studied in field-collected larvae during different phases of diapause. Ambient temperature was lowest in January and February when larvae were at the highest diapause intensity and achieved a high degree of cold hardiness at -10, -15, and -20 degrees C. Glycerol, a major cryoprotectant, reached a peak in January. It appeared that cold hardiness in the larvae is closely associated with the diapause. For the first time, this study suggests that glucose and glycogen are converted to glycerol during cold seasons, but trehalose has no definite role in the interconversion. During the coldest months, supercooling points (SCPs) increased (around -11 degrees C), and larvae could survive below their SCP values, showing that overwintering larvae of C. suppressalis are freeze tolerant in Iran. Our findings suggest that cold hardiness and diapause are essential components for this species. The overwintering larvae have high capacity of cold hardiness and can overcome severe winters. Understanding of cold hardiness and overwintering behavior of this species may help in integrated pest management of the rice stem borer in paddy fields.

Seasonal change of cold hardiness in the codling moth, Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

To elucidate the relationship between diapause and cold hardiness, seasonal variations of supercooling point and low temperature survival of overwintering and non-diapausing larvae of codling moth were studied in two regions of Iran, Damavand and Karaj. In both regions supercooling point decreased gradually over the autumn. Supercooling point of field collected larvae in Damavand reduced from a mean value of -16.9 degrees C in early September to -19.9 degrees C in mid-October 2004. At the same time, supercooling point of overwintering larvae decreased from -19 to -21 degrees C in Karaj. Supercooling point decreased gradually until midwinter (January) in both regions and afterward increased gradually over the spring. Mean supercooling point for non-diapausing larvae was -13.4 degrees C, which was significantly higher than that of overwintering larvae. A high coincidence was observed between decrease of supercooling point and increase of low temperature survival rate in the overwintering larvae. Survival rate at -20 degrees C/24 h was lower than 20% in early autumn; that increased to upper than 50% during winter. Codling moth was shown to be a freeze susceptible and at the same time, a chill tolerant insect.

Winter warming facilitates range expansion: cold tolerance of the butterfly Atalopedes campestris

Our ability to predict ecological and evolutionary responses to climate change requires an understanding of the mechanistic links between climate and range limits. The warming trend over the past half-century has generated numerous opportunities to develop much-needed case studies of these links. Species that are only limited by climatic factors are likely to shift range quickly during periods of warming. Such species directly impact recipient communities and indicate trends that will become more widespread. Because minimum temperature (T (min)) is rising at twice the rate of maximum temperature, species with this range-limiting factor may be especially responsive to global warming. In this study, I test the hypothesis that rising T (min) has directly affected the range of a skipper butterfly. Atalopedes campestris has moved northward rapidly this century, recently colonizing eastern Washington where January T (min) has risen 3 degrees C in 50 years. The results show that: 1. A. campestris' range lies completely within the -4 degrees C January average minimum isotherm, and that recently colonized areas were below this threshold earlier this century. 2. In acute cold stress experiments, -4 to -7 degrees C proved to be a critical thermal limit: median supercooling point was -6.3 degrees C, and minimum lethal temperature (LT50 with 12-h exposure) was -5.7 degrees C. 3. In chronic cold stress experiments, survivorship declined sharply in diurnally fluctuating thermal regimes typical of the current range edge. High mortality occurred under constant 0 degrees C conditions as well as in fluctuating regimes, implying that thermal insulation from snow would not protect A. campestris. 4. There was no evidence of evolution in cold tolerance at the range margin, despite strong selection. Thus, winter warming was apparently a prerequisite for the range expansion. Characteristics of this species that seem to be associated with its rapid response are that it is an opportunistic species, it is not habitat or dispersal limited, and it is constrained by T (min).