Advances in understanding Lepidoptera cold tolerance.

Area of Science:

• Entomology
• Ecology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Ambient temperatures significantly impact insect life cycles and distribution.
• Increasingly severe cold spells necessitate understanding insect low-temperature performance for predicting climate change responses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review cold tolerance strategies in 49 Lepidoptera species, with a focus on crop pests.
• To synthesize mechanisms of cold hardiness and identify primary strategies in moths and butterflies.

Main Methods:

• Literature review synthesizing data on cold tolerance mechanisms in Lepidoptera.
• Analysis of diapause occurrence, overwintering stages, and influencing factors like geography and rearing conditions.

Main Results:

• Diapause is a key, independently evolved cold tolerance strategy in Lepidoptera, often occurring in the larval stage.
• Freeze avoidance, cryoprotectant accumulation, and supercooling point depression are primary cold hardiness mechanisms.
• Cold tolerance strategies are influenced by geographic distribution and rearing conditions, not fixed traits.

Conclusions:

• Lepidoptera predominantly employ freeze avoidance strategies, with diapause and cryoprotection being vital.
• Further research is needed to understand cold tolerance in neglected species for broader climate change impact assessments.