Climate change-mediated temperature extremes and insects: From outbreaks to breakdowns.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Climate Change Biology
• Entomology

Background:

• Insects are vital for ecosystem functioning, but face increasing stress from climate change, particularly temperature extremes (TE).
• Insect responses to TE are unpredictable, hindering our understanding of their adaptive mechanisms and population dynamics.
• The impact of TE on insect species interactions and community structure remains poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of terrestrial insect responses to TE.
• To integrate organismal physiology, multitrophic interactions, and community-level dynamics.
• To explore scenarios of insect population changes and their ecosystem-level consequences.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and synthesis of existing research on insect responses to TE.
• Integration of data across physiological, trophic, and community levels.
• Exploration of potential future scenarios based on current understanding.

Main Results:

• TE can exceed insect adaptive limits, causing phenological disruptions and food web reorganization.
• Differential responses among interacting species can lead to altered species interactions.
• TE may trigger outbreak-breakdown cycles in insect communities.

Conclusions:

• TE pose significant threats to insect populations, species interactions, and community structure.
• These changes can have detrimental consequences for ecosystem functioning and resilience.
• Further research is needed to understand insect and community responses to climatic extremes (CE).