Comparative transcriptome analysis of the rice leaf folder (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis) to heat acclimation.

Background: The rice leaf folder Cnaphalocrocis medinalis Güenée is a serious insect pest of rice in Asia. This pest occurs in summer, and it is sensitive to high temperature. However, the larvae exhibit heat acclimation/adaptation.

Multigenerational heat acclimation increases thermal tolerance and expression levels of Hsp70 and Hsp90 in the rice leaf folder larvae.

Physiological response and acclimation to thermal stress is a key strategy of insects to cope with changing climate. The underlying mechanism of heat acclimation in insects is still unclear. Here, the heat selection and transcript level response in the larvae of the rice leaf folder Cnaphalocrocis medinalis Güenée, a serious pest of rice in summer, were studied.

Rice Leaf Folder Larvae Alter Their Shelter-Building Behavior and Shelter Structure in Response to Heat Stress.

Behavioral thermoregulation is a key strategy for insects to cope with heat stress. The rice leaf folder Cnaphalocrocis medinalis Guenée (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) larvae usually fold one leaf to construct a leaf shelter. The larvae are vulnerable to heat stress, and the temperature in summer is often beyond the optimal range of them.