Conserving Energy to Optimize Fecundity in a Derived Host Race of the Goldenrod Gall Fly: Do Warm Winters Limit Distribution?

Bucknell University, Lewisburg PA

Investigators

Abstract

Warren Abrahamson DEB-0343633 Abstract Conserving Energy to Optimize Fecundity in a Derived Host Race of the Goldenrod Gall Fly: Do Warm Winters Limit Distribution? While the factors limiting geographic distributions of insects are poorly understood, climate is certainly of great importance. The investigators will study the goldenrod gall fly to examine the role of climate on the geographic range of insects. This fly feeds during the summer to accumulate fat that supports the fly through the winter, as well as adult emergence and reproduction in the spring. Flies experiencing warmer winters use more energy through the winter and thus have lower survival and produce fewer eggs in spring. The investigators will create a model linking winter temperatures to energy use and, ultimately, the southern geographic limit of the gall fly. The model will be applied to predict the northward shift of the gall fly as climate change occurs. Today and into the next century, global climate change will influence the geographic range of insects. This could have serious consequences, especially for agriculture, as pest insects may move into areas they previously could not inhabit. Before scientists can predict how insect distributions might shift, they need to understand which factors limit these distributions. The investigators are testing a model based on winter energy use, which will assist us in predicting the geographic shifts in insect distributions as climates shift.