Abstract
Interest in the effect of temperature on ecophysiological processes is growing. Using published data, a meta-analysis was carried out on the influence of temperature on duration of egg development of the aquatic insect orders Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera and Odonata in relation to latitudinal compensation. The aim was to test the hypotheses on thermal adaptation and countergradient variation. The orders showed considerable differences in the response to temperatures along latitudinal gradients. Duration of egg development in Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera was negatively related to latitude at 15, 20 and 25°C, and 5, 15, and 20°C, respectively. This is interpreted as compensation for short summer seasons at high latitudes, a result that is in line with the countergradient variation hypothesis. In contrast, the results for Odonata supported neither the thermal adaptation nor the countergradient variation hypothesis. Odonate eggs from higher latitudes developed more slowly than those from lower latitudes at 20 and 25°C. It is likely that the high-latitude odonates have more time for eggs to develop, despite the shorter season, because the potential time constraint that lies in producing more generations per year at lower latitudes may override the effect of seasonal constraints at higher latitudes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Ecological Entomology |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Pages (from-to) | 177-185 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| ISSN | 0307-6946 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2014 |
Keywords
- Aquatic insects
- countergradient variation hypothesis
- development time
- egg hatching
- latitudinal compensation
- temperature
- thermal adaptation hypothesis