Thermal tolerance variations and physiological adjustments in a winter active and a summer active aphid species

The Russian wheat aphid Diuraphis noxia (Kurdjumov) and melon aphid Aphis gossypii Glover are known as winter and summer active species, respectively. It is hypothesized that differences in the aphids' seasonal activities might be related to their response to temperature extremes and different physiological mechanisms. To study the aphids' thermal tolerance variations and mode of their physiological basis, they were cold acclimated at 20, 15, 10, 5, and 0 °C for 168 h (7 days) and heat acclimated at 20, 25, 30 °C for 168 h and 35 °C for 48 h. At the end of each thermal regime, survival at low and high temperatures was determined, and changes in sugars and polyols and heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) were investigated. D. noxia was more cold-tolerant, while A. gossypii was a more heat-tolerant insect. The type and pattern of sugars and polyols were similar in both species under cold acclimation (ACC) and heat acclimation (HCC). In both species, glucose and mannitol were the major identified compounds involved in cold and heat tolerance. However, they showed different patterns of Hsp70 level, with D. noxia having a higher level of Hsp70 under ACC and A. gossypii having a higher level of Hsp70 under HCC. These results demonstrated that their differences in thermal tolerance might explain the seasonal activities of the aphids.