More complex than expected: Cold hardiness and the concentration of cryoprotectants in overwintering larvae of five Erebia butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)
Understanding the factors restricting the distribution of some insect species to high altitudes is hindered by poor knowledge of temporal changes in their cold hardiness during overwintering. We studied overwintering larvae of five species of Erebia butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae)...
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| Format: | Article |
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Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science
2017-11-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Entomology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-201701-0060_More_complex_than_expected_Cold_hardiness_and_the_concentration_of_cryoprotectants_in_overwintering_larvae_of.php |
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| author | Pavel VRBA Oldřich NEDVĚD Helena ZAHRADNÍČKOVÁ Martin KONVIČKA |
| author_facet | Pavel VRBA Oldřich NEDVĚD Helena ZAHRADNÍČKOVÁ Martin KONVIČKA |
| author_sort | Pavel VRBA |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Understanding the factors restricting the distribution of some insect species to high altitudes is hindered by poor knowledge of temporal changes in their cold hardiness during overwintering. We studied overwintering larvae of five species of Erebia butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) differing in altitudinal distribution: lowland E. medusa, submountain E. aethiops, subalpine E. pronoe, alpine E. cassioides, and subnivean E. pluto. We subjected them to three treatments, AutumnWarm (13/8°C), imitating conditions prior to overwintering; AutumnCold (5/0°C), imitating late autumn conditions; and WinterCold (5/0°C), differing from AutumnCold by a shorter photoperiod and longer exposure to zero temperatures. Supercooling points (SCP) did not differ between species in the AutumnWarm treatment, despite large differences in the concentrations of cryoprotectants (CrPC; lowest in E. medusa and E. aethiops). Lowland E. medusa was freeze-tolerant, the subalpine, alpine and subnivean species were freeze-avoidant, whereas submountain E. aethiops displayed a mixed strategy. SCPs diverged in the AutumnCold treatment: it increased in the lowland E. medusa (from -16.5 to -10.8°C) and reached the lowest value in E. cassioides (-21.7°C). In WinterCold, SCP increased in subalpine E. pronoe (from -16.1°C in AutumnWarm and -18.7°C in AutumnCold to -12.6°C). E. medusa decreased and E. aethiops increased their CrPCs between autumn and winter; the highest CrPC was recorded in subnivean E. pluto. CrPC did not correlate with SCP across species and treatments. Cryoprotectant profiles corroborated the difference between lowland and freeze-tolerant E. medusa and the three high altitude freeze-avoidant species, with E. aethiops in an intermediate position. Glycerol was surprisingly rare, trehalose was important in all species, and such rare compounds as monopalmitin and monostearin were abundantly present in E. pronoe, E. cassioides and E. pluto. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T05:48:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-472988ee5141401d9b7515cb30b4814e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1210-5759 1802-8829 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T05:48:20Z |
| publishDate | 2017-11-01 |
| publisher | Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Entomology |
| spelling | doaj.art-472988ee5141401d9b7515cb30b4814e2022-12-21T20:33:43ZengInstitute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of ScienceEuropean Journal of Entomology1210-57591802-88292017-11-01114147048010.14411/eje.2017.060eje-201701-0060More complex than expected: Cold hardiness and the concentration of cryoprotectants in overwintering larvae of five Erebia butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)Pavel VRBA0Oldřich NEDVĚD1Helena ZAHRADNÍČKOVÁ2Martin KONVIČKA3Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; e-mails: vrba_pavel@centrum.cz, nedved@prf.jcu.cz, helenaz@entu.cas.cz, konva333@gmail.comBiology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; e-mails: vrba_pavel@centrum.cz, nedved@prf.jcu.cz, helenaz@entu.cas.cz, konva333@gmail.comBiology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; e-mails: vrba_pavel@centrum.cz, nedved@prf.jcu.cz, helenaz@entu.cas.cz, konva333@gmail.comBiology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; e-mails: vrba_pavel@centrum.cz, nedved@prf.jcu.cz, helenaz@entu.cas.cz, konva333@gmail.comUnderstanding the factors restricting the distribution of some insect species to high altitudes is hindered by poor knowledge of temporal changes in their cold hardiness during overwintering. We studied overwintering larvae of five species of Erebia butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) differing in altitudinal distribution: lowland E. medusa, submountain E. aethiops, subalpine E. pronoe, alpine E. cassioides, and subnivean E. pluto. We subjected them to three treatments, AutumnWarm (13/8°C), imitating conditions prior to overwintering; AutumnCold (5/0°C), imitating late autumn conditions; and WinterCold (5/0°C), differing from AutumnCold by a shorter photoperiod and longer exposure to zero temperatures. Supercooling points (SCP) did not differ between species in the AutumnWarm treatment, despite large differences in the concentrations of cryoprotectants (CrPC; lowest in E. medusa and E. aethiops). Lowland E. medusa was freeze-tolerant, the subalpine, alpine and subnivean species were freeze-avoidant, whereas submountain E. aethiops displayed a mixed strategy. SCPs diverged in the AutumnCold treatment: it increased in the lowland E. medusa (from -16.5 to -10.8°C) and reached the lowest value in E. cassioides (-21.7°C). In WinterCold, SCP increased in subalpine E. pronoe (from -16.1°C in AutumnWarm and -18.7°C in AutumnCold to -12.6°C). E. medusa decreased and E. aethiops increased their CrPCs between autumn and winter; the highest CrPC was recorded in subnivean E. pluto. CrPC did not correlate with SCP across species and treatments. Cryoprotectant profiles corroborated the difference between lowland and freeze-tolerant E. medusa and the three high altitude freeze-avoidant species, with E. aethiops in an intermediate position. Glycerol was surprisingly rare, trehalose was important in all species, and such rare compounds as monopalmitin and monostearin were abundantly present in E. pronoe, E. cassioides and E. pluto.https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-201701-0060_More_complex_than_expected_Cold_hardiness_and_the_concentration_of_cryoprotectants_in_overwintering_larvae_of.phplepidopteranymphalidaesatyrinaeerebialarvaealpine habitatscold hardinesscryoprotectant compoundssupercooling pointtemperatureoverwintering |
| spellingShingle | Pavel VRBA Oldřich NEDVĚD Helena ZAHRADNÍČKOVÁ Martin KONVIČKA More complex than expected: Cold hardiness and the concentration of cryoprotectants in overwintering larvae of five Erebia butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) European Journal of Entomology lepidoptera nymphalidae satyrinae erebia larvae alpine habitats cold hardiness cryoprotectant compounds supercooling point temperature overwintering |
| title | More complex than expected: Cold hardiness and the concentration of cryoprotectants in overwintering larvae of five Erebia butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) |
| title_full | More complex than expected: Cold hardiness and the concentration of cryoprotectants in overwintering larvae of five Erebia butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) |
| title_fullStr | More complex than expected: Cold hardiness and the concentration of cryoprotectants in overwintering larvae of five Erebia butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) |
| title_full_unstemmed | More complex than expected: Cold hardiness and the concentration of cryoprotectants in overwintering larvae of five Erebia butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) |
| title_short | More complex than expected: Cold hardiness and the concentration of cryoprotectants in overwintering larvae of five Erebia butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) |
| title_sort | more complex than expected cold hardiness and the concentration of cryoprotectants in overwintering larvae of five erebia butterflies lepidoptera nymphalidae |
| topic | lepidoptera nymphalidae satyrinae erebia larvae alpine habitats cold hardiness cryoprotectant compounds supercooling point temperature overwintering |
| url | https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-201701-0060_More_complex_than_expected_Cold_hardiness_and_the_concentration_of_cryoprotectants_in_overwintering_larvae_of.php |
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