Effects of climate on pine processionary moth fecundity and on its egg parasitoids

Ecology and Evolution

Riziero Tiberi¹  Matteo Bracalini¹  Francesco Croci¹  Guido Tellini Florenzano¹ 

[1] Department of Agrifood Production and Environmental Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

关键词: Encyrtidae;    Eulophidae;    Hymenoptera;    Lepidoptera;    Notodontidae;    temperature;   

DOI  :  10.1002/ece3.1664

来源: Wiley

【 摘 要 】

Abstract

Climate change may be affecting the fecundity of phytophagous insects as well as impacting their natural enemies. However, temperature impacts these two insect groups differently, disrupting population regulation mechanisms, and ultimately, possibly culminating in an outbreak of the host. The pine processionary moth (PPM) is one of the most harmful insects of the Mediterranean basin. Not only are PPM larvae harmful to plants, but they are also dangerous to humans because of their urticating hairs. Although some information is available on climate change effects on the PPM, little is known about its potential effects on PPM egg parasitoids, especially on their distribution range or on their role in controlling PPM populations. The aim of this article was to verify the effects of climate on PPM fecundity and on its egg parasitoids. Our results show that climate warming may affect the PPM positively, but not its egg parasitoids. Specifically, during our study mild winters directly favored the PPM, while increasing summer temperatures (over 30°C) also favored the PPM indirectly, by decreasing parasitism rates. We predict that ever-milder winters will not only favor PPM development, but also encourage it to spread in otherwise previously inhospitable environments.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.