The importance of fat accumulation and reserves for insect overwintering.

Winter is a challenging season for ectothermic species such as insects. In addition to thermal stress imposed by cold temperatures, food scarcity during winter can lead to starvation and energy drain. In preparation for winter, most insects accumulate lipid (fat) reserves, which are the principal source of energetic fuel during overwintering.

The -parasitizing wasp : A comprehensive model system in ecology and evolution.

The parasitoid has been used as a model system for more than 70 years, contributing greatly to diverse research areas in ecology and evolution. Here, we synthesized the large body of work on with the aim to identify new research avenues that could be of interest also for researchers studying other parasitoids and insects. We start our review with a description of typical characteristics, as well as that of the higher taxonomic groups to which this species belongs.

Pupal size as a proxy for fat content in laboratory-reared and field-collected Drosophila species.

In arthropods, larger individuals tend to have more fat reserves, but data for many taxa are still missing. For the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster, only few studies have provided experimental data linking body size to fat content. This is rather surprising considering the widespread use of D.

Hypoxia combined with chilling maintains the quality of irradiated flies: a simulated shipment experiment.

is an invasive fruit pest in Europe and America. Females lay eggs into mature fruit that larvae consume causing important losses. Sterile insect technique (SIT) is under development to control this pest.

Effect of starvation on the cold tolerance of adult (Diptera: Drosophilidae).

The spotted wing drosophila, , is an invasive pest in Europe and North America. Access to resources may be challenging in late fall, winter and early spring and flies may suffer from food deprivation along with cold stress in these periods. Whereas a plethora of studies have been performed on the overwintering capacity of , the effects of starvation on the fly's cold tolerance have not been addressed.

The Evolutionary Relevance of Social Learning and Transmission in Non-Social Arthropods with a Focus on Oviposition-Related Behaviors.

Research on social learning has centered around vertebrates, but evidence is accumulating that small-brained, non-social arthropods also learn from others. Social learning can lead to social inheritance when socially acquired behaviors are transmitted to subsequent generations. Using oviposition site selection, a critical behavior for most arthropods, as an example, we first highlight the complementarities between social and classical genetic inheritance.

Cold acclimation triggers major transcriptional changes in Drosophila suzukii.

Background: Insects have the capacity to adjust their physiological mechanisms during their lifetime to promote cold tolerance and cope with sublethal thermal conditions, a phenomenon referred to as thermal acclimation. The spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, is an invasive fruit pest that, like many other species, enhances its thermotolerance in response to thermal acclimation. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms of this plastic response.

Cold acclimation triggers lipidomic and metabolic adjustments in the spotted wing drosophila (Matsumara).

Chronic cold exposure is detrimental to chill susceptible insects that may accumulate chill injuries. To cope with deleterious effects of cold temperature, insects employ a variety of physiological strategies and metabolic adjustments, such as production of cryoprotectants, or remodeling of cellular membranes. Cold tolerance is a key element determining the fundamental niche of species.

Cold Acclimation Favors Metabolic Stability in .

The invasive fruit fly pest, , is a chill susceptible species, yet it is capable of overwintering in rather cold climates, such as North America and North Europe, probably thanks to a high cold tolerance plasticity. Little is known about the mechanisms underlying cold tolerance acquisition in . In this study, we compared the effect of different forms of cold acclimation (at juvenile or at adult stage) on subsequent cold tolerance.

Effects of fluctuating thermal regimes on cold survival and life history traits of the spotted wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii).

Drosophila suzukii is an invasive pest causing severe damages to a large panel of cultivated crops. To facilitate its biocontrol with strategies such as sterile or incompatible insect techniques, D. suzukii must be mass-produced and then stored and transported under low temperature.

Sterile insect technique and symbiosis as potential tools for the control of the invasive species .

, a vinegar fly originated from Southeast Asia, has recently invaded western countries, and it has been recognized as an important threat of a wide variety of several commercial soft fruits. This review summarizes the current information about the biology and dispersal of and discusses the current status and prospects of control methods for the management of this pest. We highlight current knowledge and ongoing research on innovative environmental-friendly control methods with emphasis on the sterile insect technique (SIT) and the incompatible insect technique (IIT).

Basal tolerance to heat and cold exposure of the spotted wing drosophila, .

The spotted wing Drosophila, , is a new pest in Europe and America which causes severe damages, mostly to stone fruit crops. Temperature and humidity are among the most important abiotic factors governing insect development and fitness. In many situations, temperature can become stressful thus compromising survival.