Journal
JOURNAL OF THERMAL BIOLOGY
Volume 53, Issue -, Pages 180-197Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2015.11.003
Keywords
Chill coma; Critical thermal minimum; Supercooling point; Cold tolerance strategy; Lower lethal temperature; Rapid cold-hardening; Acclimation; Deacclimation; Phenotypic plasticity; Experimental design
Funding
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency [3872188]
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency
- Ontario Ministry for Research and Innovation
- Canadian Foundation for Innovation
- University of Western Ontario
- National Institutes of Health (USA)
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Insect performance is limited by the temperature of the environment, and in temperate, polar, and alpine regions, the majority of insects must face the challenge of exposure to low temperatures. The physiological response to cold exposure shapes the ability of insects to survive and thrive in these environments, and can be measured, without great technical difficulty, for both basic and applied research. For example, understanding insect cold tolerance allows us to predict the establishment and spread of insect pests and biological control agents. Additionally, the discipline provides the tools for drawing physiological comparisons among groups in wider studies that may not be focused primarily on the ability of insects to survive the cold. Thus, the study of insect cold tolerance is of a broad interest, and several reviews have addressed the theories and advances in the field. Here, however, we aim to clarify and provide rationale for common practices used to study cold tolerance, as a guide for newcomers to the field, students, and those wishing to incorporate cold tolerance into a broader study. We cover the 'tried and true' measures of insect cold tolerance, the equipment necessary for these measurement, and summarize the ecological and biological significance of each. Finally, we suggest a framework and workflow for measuring cold tolerance and low temperature performance in insects. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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