Journal
ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY
Volume 49, Issue 1, Pages 230-237Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC
DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvz138
Keywords
egg; experiment; nymph; warming; Zygoptera
Categories
Funding
- Water Conservation Research Fellowship
- Texas Tech University Dissertation Completion Fellowship
- CH Foundation Doctoral Fellowship
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Current climate projections for the Great Plains of North America indicate markedly increased air temperatures by the end of the current century. Because the Great Plains contains >80,000 intermittent wetlands that serve as irreplaceable wildlife habitat, this projected warming may have profound effects throughout a continental-scale trophic network. However, little research has been done to determine how projected warming may affect the growth, development, or survival of even common species in this region. We conducted laboratory warming experiments, using an abundant amphibious predatory insect, Enallagma civile (Hagen, 1861), as a model organism, to determine whether projected warming may affect development or survival. Eggs were collected and reared under four water temperature regimes representing current (26 degrees C) and projected future conditions (32, 38, and 41 degrees C). Nymph body size after each molt, development rate, and deaths were recorded. Elevated water temperatures were found to significantly affect the survivorship of E. civile eggs and nymphs as well as adult body size at emergence: an increase in temperature incurred a decrease in survival and size. Nymphs in the two hotter treatments were smaller and had low survivorship whereas individuals in the cooler temperatures generally survived to adulthood and were larger. Nymphs reared at 32 degrees C experienced accelerated ontogenetic development compared with the other temperatures, going from egg to adult in 26 d. Projected elevated temperatures may, thus, be both advantageous and detrimental, causing concern for aquatic invertebrates in this region in the future.
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