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Drosophilids with darker cuticle have higher body temperature under light
Laurent Freoa1,2, Luis-Miguel Chevin3, Philippe Christol4
1Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, UMR 7622, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 9 Quai St-Bernard, 75005, Paris, France.
Scientific Reports
|March 2, 2023
Summary
Insect cuticle pigmentation influences body temperature. This study found that darker pigmentation in drosophilids leads to a greater temperature increase when exposed to light, suggesting adaptation to environmental temperatures.
Area of Science:
- Zoology
- Ecology
- Insect Physiology
Background:
- Cuticle pigmentation's link to body temperature is established in large insects but debated in smaller ones.
- Drosophilids (fruit flies) provide a model system to investigate this relationship in small insects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between drosophilid cuticle pigmentation and body temperature changes under light exposure.
- To determine if pigmentation differences correlate with temperature variations in different drosophilid species and genetic lines.
Main Methods:
- Utilized thermal imaging to measure body temperature changes in drosophilids exposed to light.
- Compared temperature differences in genetically distinct mutants (Drosophila melanogaster ebony and yellow).
- Analyzed natural pigmentation variations within species complexes (D. americana/D. novamexicana, D. yakuba/D. santomea) and selected D. melanogaster lines.
Main Results:
- Significant temperature differences were observed across all four analyzed pairs.
- Greater pigmentation differences across the whole body resulted in larger temperature increases (approx. 0.6°C ± 0.2°C).
- Smaller, localized pigmentation differences (posterior abdomen) showed smaller temperature increases (approx. 0.14°C ± 0.10°C).
Conclusions:
- Drosophilid cuticle pigmentation directly impacts body temperature regulation.
- Pigmentation differences have ecological relevance for drosophilids adapting to varying environmental temperatures.
- This finding supports the role of pigmentation in thermoregulation and adaptation in small insects.
