TL;DR: Using a dataset extending back to the mid-nineteenth century, changes in the voltinism of butterfly and moth species of Central Europe are reported, showing a significant proportion of 263 multi-voltine species showed augmented frequency of second and subsequent generations relative to the first generation in a warm period since 1980.
Abstract: Climate change is altering geographical ranges, population dynamics and phenologies of many organisms. For ectotherms, increased ambient temperatures frequently have direct consequences for metabolic rates, activity patterns and developmental rates. Consequently, in many insect species both an earlier beginning and prolongation of seasonal duration occurred in parallel with recent global warming. However, from an ecological and evolutionary perspective, the number of generations (voltinism) and investment into each generation may be even more important than seasonality, since an additional generation per unit time may accelerate population growth or adaptation. Using a dataset extending back to the mid-nineteenth century, I report changes in the voltinism of butterfly and moth species of Central Europe. A significant proportion of 263 multi-voltine species showed augmented frequency of second and subsequent generations relative to the first generation in a warm period since 1980, and 44 species even increased the number of generations after 1980. Expected ecological consequences are diverse. Since multi-voltinism has been linked to insect outbreaks they include an increase in the abundance of herbivorous pests of agriculture and forestry. However, disruption of the developmental synchrony associated with multi-voltinism and host plant phenology may also reduce fitness, potentially having unexpected consequences for species of conservation concern. The ability of species to adapt evolutionarily to a changing environment may be facilitated by increased voltinism.
TL;DR: It is concluded that phenology advances facilitate polewards range expansions in species exhibiting plasticity for both phenology and voltinism, but may inhibit expansion by less flexible species.
Abstract: Advances in phenology (the annual timing of species' life-cycles) in response to climate change are generally viewed as bioindicators of climate change, but have not been considered as predictors of range expansions. Here, we show that phenology advances combine with the number of reproductive cycles per year (voltinism) to shape abundance and distribution trends in 130 species of British Lepidoptera, in response to ~0.5 °C spring-temperature warming between 1995 and 2014. Early adult emergence in warm years resulted in increased within- and between-year population growth for species with multiple reproductive cycles per year (n = 39 multivoltine species). By contrast, early emergence had neutral or negative consequences for species with a single annual reproductive cycle (n = 91 univoltine species), depending on habitat specialisation. We conclude that phenology advances facilitate polewards range expansions in species exhibiting plasticity for both phenology and voltinism, but may inhibit expansion by less flexible species.
TL;DR: Effectes of food quality on voltinism, growth rate, and size at maturity are demonstrated for representatives of gougers and shredders, collectors, and scrapers.
Abstract: Benthic species are partitioned into functional feeding groups based on food-acquiring mechanisms. Effects of food quality on voltinism, growth rate, and size at maturity are demonstrated for repre...
TL;DR: A review of available data suggests that terrestrial and aquatic Heteroptera species respond to climate change by shifting their distribution ranges, changing abundance, phenology, voltinism, physiology, behaviour, and community structure.
Abstract: Focusingonthesoutherngreenstinkbug,Nezaraviridula(Pentatomidae),incentralJapanthe effects of climate change on true bugs (Insecta: Heteroptera) are reviewed. In the early 1960s, the northern edge of the species's distribution was in Wakayama Prefecture (34.11N) and distribution was limited by the 151C coldest month (January) mean temperature isothermal line. By 2000, N. viridula was recorded 70km further north (in Osaka, 34.71N). Historical climate data were used to reveal possible causes of the northward range expansion. The increase of mean and lowest winter month temperatures by 1-21C in Osaka from the 1950s to the 1990s improved potential overwintering conditions for N. viridula .T his promoted north- ward range expansion of the species. In Osaka, adult diapause in N. viridula is induced after mid-September, much later than in other local seed-feeding heteropterans. This late diapause induction results in late-season ineffective reproduction: some females start oviposition in autumn when the progeny have no chance of attaining adulthood and surviving winter. Both reproductive adults and the progeny die. A period from mid-September to early November represents a phenological mismatch: diapause is not yet induced in all adults, but it is already too late to start reproduction. Females that do not start reproduction but enter diapause in September have reduced postdiapause reproductive performance: they live for a shorter period, have a shorter period of oviposition and produce fewer eggs in smaller egg masses compared with females that emerge and enter diapause later in autumn. To some extent, N. viridula remains maladapted to Osaka environmental conditions. Ecological perspectives on establishment in recently colonized areas are discussed. A review of available data suggests that terrestrial and aquatic Heteroptera species respond to climate change by shifting their distribution ranges, changing abundance, phenology, voltinism, physiology, behaviour, and community structure. Expected responses of Heteroptera to further climate warming are discussed under scenarios of slight (o21C) and substantial (421C) temperature increase.
TL;DR: The suggested pattern of phenotypic variation in body size and diapause expression in the striped ground cricket reflect adaptation to season length is found to be consistent with diversifying selection due to different local conditions.
Abstract: This paper investigates patterns of phenotypic variation in the striped ground cricket (Allonemobious fasciatus) along a cline in season length and tests the hypothesis that variation in body size and diapause propensity is the result of diversifying selection due to different local conditions. We examined 83 populations and found that A. fasciatus produced a single generation per year (univoltine) north of 37°N latitude and was bivoltine south of 35°30'N. Body size generally increased with increasing season length, with a sudden drop in the region corresponding to the transition from univoltine to bivoltine life cycles, reflecting the division of total season length in two within-bivoltine populations. We reared ten populations in our laboratory and found that much of the interpopulation variance in body size observed in the field could be attributed to genetic differences. Diapause expression also varied significantly among populations and was strongly correlated with season length. The heritability of body size did not differ between populations, but full-sib estimates greatly exceeded parent-offspring estimates (h po2=0.15±0.05; h fs2=0.45±0.04) suggesting that there are important nonadditive genetic effects. The heritability of diapause expression, determined from analysis of full sibs, varied significantly between populations (0.33 ± 0.10 to 1.31 ± 0.21) with an average of 0.74 ± 0.16. Body size and diapause expression were genetically correlated in transition-zone populations, but not in univoltine or bivoltine populations. Our findings support the suggestion that clinal variation in body size and diapause expression in the striped ground cricket reflect adaptation to season length.