Insights into torpor and behavioural thermoregulation of the endangered Juliana's golden mole

The cryptic, subterranean ways of golden moles (Chrysochloridae) hamper studies of their biology in the field. Ten species appear on the IUCN red list, but the dearth of information available for most inhibits effective conservation planning. New techniques are consequently required to further our understanding and facilitate informed conservation management decisions. We studied the endangered Juliana's golden mole Neamblysomus julianae and aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using implantable temperature sensing transmitters to remotely acquire physiological and behavioural data. We also aimed to assess potential body temperature ( T _b) fluctuations in relation to ambient soil temperature ( T _a) in order to assess the potential use of torpor. Hourly observations revealed that T _b was remarkably changeable, ranging from 27 to 33 °C. In several instances T _b declined during periods of low T _a. Such 'shallow torpor' may result in a daily energy saving of c . 20%. Behavioural thermoregulation was used during periods of high T _a by selecting cooler microclimates, while passive heating was used to raise T _b early morning when T _a was increasing. In contrast to anecdotal reports of nocturnal patterns of activity, our results suggest that activity is flexible, being primarily dependent on T _a. These results exemplify how behavioural patterns and microclimatic conditions can be examined in this and other subterranean mammal species, the results of which can be used in the urgently required conservation planning of endangered Chrysochlorid species.     

Thermoregulation in endothermic dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): effect of body size and ecophysiological constraints in flight

We explore the physiological constraints of body temperature as related to body mass and ambient temperature during flight in endothermic dung beetles showing a mass-related breakpoint where species show strong vs. weak endothermy. We found two different strategies in the dung beetles prior to flight; larger beetles (>1.9 g) elevate and maintain their body temperature (T(b)) at levels well above ambient temperature (T(a)) whereas smaller beetles' (<1.9 g) T(b) tends to conform with T(a). Physiological constraints analysis revealed a constant maximum tolerated temperature (in flight) of 42 degrees C and a minimum temperature for flight of around 25 degrees C. These, with body mass, may play a role in thermal niche partitioning and geographical distribution patterns.     

The utilization of patchy thermal microhabitats by the ectothermic insect predator, Cicindela sexguttata

Abstract. 1. Tiger beetles ( Cicindela ) of open habitats have served as model ectotherms in studies of the dependence of activity and habitat utilization on temperature. Potential departures from the cicindelid model were investigated in Cicindela sexguttata , a species inhabiting forests where thermal resources are patchy and ephemeral.
2. Body temperatures (T_b) were determined by inserting thermocouples into beetles immediately after observing specific behaviours in the field. Cicindela sexguttata elevated T_b by basking, foraged at a preferred T_b of 32.8 °C, and stilted, sun-faced, or sought shade when T_b exceeded 35 °C. Although these behaviours were typical of Cicindela , their set points were lower than those of species in more open habitats.
3. Illuminated substrates were utilized for basking and foraging. Beetles were dispersed throughout the forest floor in early spring, but became aggregated in light gaps when the canopy leafed out. Operative temperatures of thermal models indicated that beetles were unable to maintain the preferred T_b in shade and would not be able to maintain a preferred T_b in light gaps during the autumn, when adults are normally in diapause.
4. Beetles were confined to foraging in light gaps once the canopy was closed. Foraging rate and searching speed were independent of T_b, in contrast to other cicindelids. Adults rarely searched for prey, but ambushed small arthropods that alighted in the light gap. Dependence on patches of illumination as thermal resources may increase prey capture, intraspecific encounters, and risk of predation, and preclude foraging in the autumn when Cicindela species of open habitats are also active.     

Fluctuations in the tympanic membrane temperatures of non-restrained captive giant anteaters and southern tamanduas

Members of the family Myrmecophagidae (i.e. anteaters) show a variety of anatomical and behavioural adaptations to deal with their low-energy diet; for example, they all have low body temperatures in comparison with other eutherian mammals. In this study, we investigated the tympanic membrane temperatures ( T _mt) of two giant anteaters and three southern tamanduas, housed in captivity and exposed to natural climatic variations in temperature, using an infrared thermometer. Additionally, we measured external dorsal temperature ( T _d), air temperature ( T _a), substrate temperature ( T _s) and whether the subject was active or not. To understand the effect of time of day on these variables, we recorded them, on the hour, over four 24-h cycles for each animal during which the subjects were non-restrained within their enclosures. The results show that both giant anteaters and southern tamanduas allow their T _mt to reduce between 4.0 and 6.5 °C when they are sleeping. Furthermore, linear regressions between T _mt and T _a or T _s showed that the giant anteaters were much more affected by T _a and T _s than the southern tamanduas. Both species also showed higher T _mt when active (comparing subjects active and inactive at the same T _a). Both species appear to use shallow torpor during a normal 24-h cycle probably as a means to economize energy. The torpor in giant anteaters occurred during the night when asleep, whereas in the southern tamanduas it occurred at any time of day when asleep. The giant anteaters appeared to be more directly affected by environmental temperature than the southern tamanduas.     

Ecological distribution and niche segregation of sibling species: the case of bean beetles, Acanthoscelides obtectus Say and A. obvelatus Bridwell

Abstract.  1. Molecular techniques have greatly added to the number of known sympatric cryptic species in insects. Ecological differences between these newly distinguished species are little explored, but niches often appear to overlap strongly. These cases are good models for exploring new ideas about species coexistence and community structure.
2.  Acanthoscelides obtectus and A. obvelatus are two sister species of bean bruchids, which have been confused until the last decade. One important ecological difference between them has emerged, however: A. obtectus is multivoltine and now distributed worldwide, whereas A. obvelatus is univoltine and restricted to Mesoamerica. Where their ranges overlap, the two species share the same host plants and larvae can sometimes complete development in the same seed.
3. The analysis of 27 622 Mexican individuals of the two species in 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 indicates that their niches overlap, but are differentiated with respect to altitude and the kind of beans (wild vs. domesticated). The principal patterns in their relative abundance in different habitats, and at different seasons, were constant from one year to the next.
4. As sympatry of these species seems to be of recent origin, the observed niche differentiation may not have evolved in response to competition, but could instead be the consequence of physiological differences, evolved independently in each species in allopatry, that pre-adapted them for different altitudes and kinds of resources.
5. The combination of biological and historical factors thus appears to allow these two sibling species to coexist in sympatry, despite their broadly overlapping ecological niches.     

Temporal stability of individual feeding specialization may promote speciation

1.  Inter-individual differences in trophic behaviour are considered important in the disruptive selection process for resource specialization and may represent an early phase in the evolution of polymorphism and adaptive radiation. Here, we provide evidence of high stability of individual trophic niches of a fish predator from a 15-year study.
2.  Individual resource specialization was investigated by combining data from analyses of stomach contents (recent trophic niche), trophically transmitted parasites (long-term niche) and trophic morphology (niche adaptations) from single specimens of a postglacial fish (Arctic charr) population sampled from contrasting pelagic and littoral habitats.
3.  Based on the relationships between morphology, parasites and diet, high inter-individual temporal consistency of narrow niches (zooplanktivorous vs . benthivorous) was evident through the ontogeny of the charr, indicating low degree of switching both in habitat utilization and feeding strategy of individual fish. Co-occurrence of differently specialized behavioural phenotypes was sustained over multiple generations.
4.  The stable long-term habitat and feeding specializations may represent an important initial step in an adaptive radiation process, and our findings suggest a case of sympatric speciation into two incipient forms diverging along the littoral–pelagic resource axis.     

The effects of temperature and hyperoxia on arterial PO2 and acid-base status in Piaractus mesopotamicus

The effects of hyperoxia and change of temperature (range 20–30° C) on blood gases were studied in the teleost fish Piaractus mesopotamicus , native to several major river systems in Brazil. Large hyperoxia-induced increases of arterial P o₂ ( P _ao₂) indicated that true branchial blood shunts are negligible in relation to total gill perfusion. This implies that blood gases will be influenced by ventilation rather than by shunts. Acute variations of temperature ( t ) were accompanied by changes of arterial blood pH (on the average Δ p H_aΔt⁻¹ of — 0·015 units °C⁻¹), due mainly to alterations of P _aco₂: 2·4 mmHg at 20° C, 5·0 mmHg at 30° C. Concomitantly, P _ao₂ declined from 116 mmHg (20° C) to 89 mmHg (30° C). The data suggest that temperature-induced changes of acid-base status depend mainly on gill ventilation and that the decrease of P _ao₂ with higher temperature is a result of this regulation.     

Asymmetrical competition between Neotropical dung beetles and its consequences for assemblage structure

Abstract.  1. This study combines the results of laboratory experiments using representative assemblage components and pitfall trapping over a large geographical area to examine the hypothesis that ongoing interspecific competition structures Neotropical dung beetle assemblages.
2. From Guatemala to Panama assemblages of large to medium-sized, fast-tunnelling dung beetles include a single large, nocturnal dichotomiine species, Dichotomius annae (Kohlmann & Solís, 1997). In competition experiments, this species out-competed the medium-sized coprine species, Copris lugubris Boheman and Phanaeus demon Laporte-Castelnau, for dung and nesting space, in spite of earlier colonisation by the diurnal species, P. demon .
3. Differences in the abundance of D. annae at Central American sites did not affect total fast-tunnelling dung beetle assemblage richness over the rainy season. However, D. annae rank order was directly related to the probability of interspecific encounters (Hurlbert's Δ ₁) among species. These trends were also observed when species lists from published and unpublished studies of other large allopatric dichotomiine species, with a more northerly distribution, were included in the analyses.
4. The results obtained suggest that where large dichotomiine species are abundant, their efficient pre-emption of a considerable proportion of available resources drives all, or most, other fast-tunnelling species to a lower population density, thereby decreasing assemblage diversity.     

Trophic niche similarities of sympatric Turdus thrushes determined by fecal contents,stable isotopes,and bipartite network approaches

An ecological niche has been defined as an n‐dimensional hypervolume formed by conditions and resources that species need to survive, grow, and reproduce. In practice, such niche dimensions are measurable and describe how species share resources, which has been thought to be a crucial mechanism for coexistence and a major driver of broad biodiversity patterns. Here, we investigate resource partitioning and trophic interactions of three sympatric, phylogenetically related and morphologically similar species of thrushes (Turdus spp.). Based on one year of data collected in southern Brazil, we investigated niche partitioning using three approaches: diet and trophic niche assessed by fecal analysis, diet and niche estimated by stable isotopes in blood and mixing models, and bipartite network analysis derived from direct diet and mixing model outputs. Approaches revealed that the three sympatric thrushes are generalists that feed on similar diets, demonstrating high niche overlap. Fruits from C3 plants were one of the most important food items in their networks, with wide links connecting the three thrush species. Turdus amaurochalinus and T. albicollis had the greatest trophic and isotopic niche overlap, with 90% and 20% overlap, respectively. There was partitioning of key resources between these two species, with a shared preference for fig tree fruits—Ficus cestrifolia (T. amaurochalinus PSIRI% = 11.3 and T. albicollis = 11.5), which was not present in the diet of T. rufiventris. Results added a new approach to the network analysis based on values from the stable isotope mixing models, allowing comparisons between traditional dietary analysis and diet inferred by isotopic mixing models, which reflects food items effectively assimilated in consumer tissues. Both are visualized in bipartite networks and show food‐consumers link strengths. This approach could be useful to other studies using stable isotopes coupled to network analysis, particularly useful in sympatric species with similar niches.     

Trophic niche partitioning in communities of African annual fish: evidence from stable isotopes

Annual killifish of the genus Nothobranchius often co-occur in temporary savannah pools. Their space- and time-limited environment does not allow for any substantial habitat or temporal segregation. Coexisting species are therefore predicted to have well separated trophic niches to avoid intense food competition. Although in a previous “snapshot” study using stomach content analysis (SCA), the trophic niches of three sympatric species (N. furzeri, N. orthonotus, and N. pienaari) were found to vary among species, the difference was relatively weak and inconsistent across different sites. Here, we used the time-integrative capacity of stable isotope analysis to test whether the trophic niches of sympatric Mozambican Nothobranchius are more distinct over a long-term period. Analysis of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes separated the trophic niche and trophic position of N. pienaari but failed to find any difference between N. furzeri/N. kadleci and N. orthonotus. No segregation was found at the sites with low prey diversity. In contrast, SCA identified N. orthonotus as the species with the most distinct trophic niche. We discuss the effect of prey diversity and different sensitivities of stomach content and stable isotope analysis in general and conclude that the trophic niches of the three sympatric Nothobranchius species are well separated.     

Are ball-rolling (Scarabaeini,Gymnopleurini, Sisyphini) and tunnelling scarabaeine dung beetles equally choosy about the size of ingested dung particles?

Abstract.  1. The maximum size of ingested particles was determined in 11 species of ball-rolling, adult dung beetle (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) by mixing small latex or glass balls of known diameter into their food. The tribes Scarabaeini, Gymnopleurini, and Sisyphini (four, four, and three species respectively) were represented, with mean body sizes ranging from 0.33 to 4.0 g fresh weight.
2. Only particles with maximum diameters of 4–85 µm were ingested. Hence rollers, like other known beetles feeding on fresh dung, filter out larger, indigestible plant fragments and confine ingestion to small particles of higher nutritional value.
3. The maximum diameter of ingested particles increased significantly with body weight, whereas taxon (tribe) had no additional effect. Because big rollers accept larger particles than do tunnellers (which make dung stores for feeding and breeding in the soil immediately below the pat) of similar weight, the slope of the diameter-against-weight regression for rollers was significantly higher than that found earlier for tunnellers.
4. An explanation could be that a typical food ball made by a roller is considerably smaller than the amount of dung available to a feeding tunneller of the same size. If the roller were as choosy about particle size as the tunneller, it might not get enough food. This applies to large rollers in particular because their food balls contain a higher proportion of coarse fibres than those made by small species.     

三种荒漠蜥蜴空间和营养生态位研究

同一荒漠蜥蜴群落中,荒漠沙蜥（Ｐｈｒｙｎｏｃｅｐｈａｌｕｓｐｒｚｅｗａｌｓｋｉｉ）和虫纹麻蜥（Ｅｒｅｍｉａｓｖｅｒｍｉｃｕｌａｔａ）,密点麻蜥（Ｅｒｅｍｉａｓｍｕｌｔｉｏｃｅｌｌａｔａ）占不有同的空间生态位,其间几乎不存在竞争。两个近缘种虽然占有相同空间生态位,但个体大的密点麻蜥食物种类特化,个体小的虫纹麻蜥偏重于利用较小的食物资源。占有相同空间生态位的近缘种,营养生态位向不同方向特化,利用不同的食物资源,从而在竞争中共存,保持群落结构的稳定性。     

The photosynthetic drought physiology of a diverse group of southern hemisphere conifer species is correlated with minimum seasonal rainfall

1. The instantaneous and integrated leaf gas exchange of 13 species of southern hemisphere conifers grown under identical glasshouse conditions were examined to determine whether there was any correlation between the characteristics of water use at the leaf level and environmental water availability.
2. In the conifer species examined, the minimum ratio of internal to ambient CO₂ measured in leaves during artificially imposed drought [( c _i/ c _a)_min] was strongly correlated with the minimum rainfall observed within the natural range of each species. This suggests that the distributions of these species are constrained by the drought tolerance of their photosynthetic apparatus.
3. A good correlation was found between the ratio of internal to ambient CO₂ measured in leaves under optimal conditions ( c _i/ c _a)_max and leaf δ¹³C (and hence inferred ∫[ c _i/ c _a]). Neither of these, however, correlated with the environmental parameters considered most likely to be limiting species distribution, i.e. precipitation and altitude.
4. These data suggest that decreasing water availability may have been the major factor responsible for the restriction and extinction of conifers in the southern hemisphere.     

Thermal acclimation of photosynthesis in black spruce [Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.

We investigated the thermal acclimation of photosynthesis and respiration in black spruce seedlings [ Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.] grown at 22/14 °C [low temperature (LT)] or 30/22 °C [high temperature (HT)] day/night temperatures. Net CO₂ assimilation rates ( A _net) were greater in LT than in HT seedlings below 30 °C, but were greater in HT seedlings above 30 °C. Dark and day respiration rates were similar between treatments at the respective growth temperatures. When respiration was factored out of the photosynthesis response to temperature, the resulting gross CO₂ assimilation rates ( A _gross) was lower in HT than in LT seedlings below 30 °C, but was similar above 30 °C. The reduced A _gross of HT seedlings was associated with lower needle nitrogen content, lower ribulose 1·5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) maximum carboxylation rates ( V _cmax) and lower maximum electron transport rates ( J _max). Growth treatment did not affect V _cmax :  J _max. Modelling of the CO₂ response of photosynthesis indicated that LT seedlings at 40 °C might have been limited by heat lability of Rubisco activase, but that in HT seedlings, Rubisco capacity was limiting. In sum, thermal acclimation of A _net was largely caused by reduced respiration and lower nitrogen investments in needles from HT seedlings. At 40 °C, photosynthesis in LT seedlings might be limited by Rubisco activase capacity, while in HT seedlings, acclimation removed this limitation.     

四川卧龙国家级自然保护区三种高山同域鸡形目鸟类的时空生态位比较

高海拔山区气候条件恶劣, 资源匮乏, 探究同域分布的近缘物种如何利用有限的资源以实现稳定共存, 对于了解高山生态系统生物多样性格局的形成和维持机制具有重要意义。鸡形目鸟类飞行能力弱, 属于典型的地栖物种, 生态位空间相对狭窄, 可能面临更高的种间竞争压力。本研究旨在比较几种同域分布的鸡形目鸟类的时空生态位, 为了解高山生态系统同域物种的共存机制提供新的研究案例。2020年4-9月, 研究人员在四川卧龙国家级自然保护区海拔3,300-4,200 m的高山区域进行了野外调查, 通过样线法和样方法对鸡形目鸟类群落优势物种绿尾虹雉(Lophophorus lhuysii)、雉鹑(Tetraophasis obscurus)和雪鹑(Lerwa lerwa)繁殖期的微生境进行调查, 使用红外相机对其活动节律进行监测, 并运用核密度估计法从微生境利用和日活动节律两个生态维度进行了种间生态位比较。结果显示, 雪鹑在微生境利用和日活动节律上均与其他两个物种存在显著差异。绿尾虹雉与雉鹑在微生境的利用上具有相似偏好; 但绿尾虹雉的早活动高峰晚于雉鹑, 晚活动高峰早于雉鹑, 表现出显著的种间日活动节律差异; 然而, 整合两个维度后, 绿尾虹雉和雉鹑的整体生态位仍然高度重叠, 没有显著分化。本研究表明高山鸡形目物种间的生态位分化体现于多个不同的生态维度, 并且不同物种之间的分化方式有所差异。在空间和时间生态位上的显著分化使雪鹑与同域物种间的竞争压力相对较小, 有利于其实现稳定共存。而绿尾虹雉与雉鹑的整体生态位高度重叠, 建议进一步对其食性开展研究, 探讨营养生态位上的潜在种间分化。     

Biotic attrition from tropical forests correcting for truncated temperature niches

Species migration in response to warming temperatures is expected to lead to ‘biotic attrition,’ or loss of local diversity, in areas where the number of species emigrating or going locally extinct exceeds the number immigrating. Biotic attrition is predicted be especially severe in the low‐lying hot tropics since elevated temperatures may surpass the observed tolerances of most extant species. It is possible, however, that the estimated temperature niches of many species are inaccurate and truncated with respect to their true tolerances due to the absence of hotter areas under current global climate. If so, these species will be capable of persisting in some areas where future temperatures exceed current temperatures, reducing rates of biotic attrition. Here, we use natural history collections data to estimate the realized thermal niches of > 2000 plant species from the tropical forests of South America. In accord with the truncation hypothesis, we find that the thermal niches of species from hot lowland areas are several degrees narrower than the thermal niches of species from cooler areas. We estimate rates of biotic attrition for South American tropical forests due to temperature increases ranging from 1 to 5 °C, and under two niche assumptions. The first is that the observed thermal niches truly reflect the plant's tolerances and that the reduction in niche breadth is due to increased specialization. The second is that lowland species have the same mean thermal niche breadth as nonlowland and nonequatorial species. The differences between these two models are dramatic. For example, using observed thermal niches we predict an almost complete loss of plant diversity in most South American tropical forests due to a 5 °C temperature increase, but correcting for possible niche truncation we estimate that most forests will retain > 50–70% of their current species richness. The different predictions highlight the importance of using fundamental vs. realized niches in predicting the responses of species to global climate change.     

Intra- and interspecific aggregation of north temperate dung beetles on standardised and natural dung pads: the influence of spatial scale

Abstract.  1. The spatial distribution of north temperate dung beetles ( Aphodius , Sphaeridium , and Margarinotus ) was investigated at three spatial scales (scale  a between all pads – large spatial scale, small patch size; scale  b between block – large spatial scale, large patch size; scale  c within block – small spatial scale, small patch size) in the field using standardised and naturally dropped dung pads that varied in size and volume.
2. Results indicated that all the major colonising species of dung beetle expressed strong intraspecific aggregation, while interspecific aggregation, though present, was of a lesser magnitude.
3. In both controlled and natural dung treatments, intra- and interspecific aggregation decreased with increasing patch size (from pad to block) and also decreased with decreasing spatial scale (from whole plot to within-block scale).
4. The data also suggested that intraspecific aggregation was more important than interspecific aggregation in the distribution of adult dung beetles in natural and standardised dung pads and hence has the potential to facilitate coexistence.
5. Intra- and interspecific aggregation was greater in the natural dung compared with that of the standardised dung, and the effect of pad size partly explains this phenomenon.
6. The within-patch spatial distribution of dung beetles observed in the natural and standardised dung was possibly mediated through within-patch differences between the two treatments. Six confounding factors could explain this difference and these factors are discussed in relation to resource utilisation by north temperate dung beetles.     

Allometric growth and condition factor of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) fed to satiation: effects of temperature and body weight

The effect of thermal environment on condition factor was examined for six different size-classes of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua fed to satiation. A weight–length relationship for 8 to 1303 g fish reared at 4–20°C indicated an allometric growth ( W  =  aL ^b , a  = 0.0045, b  = 3.257) of cod. Changes in relative condition factor ( K _rel) with temperature were described with a second order polynomial. The most pronounced effect of temperature on body condition was found in the smallest size-classes, but the curves flattened with increased size. Temperature had size-dependent effects on the relative condition factor obtained from an overall weight–length relationship for all fish in the experiment, i.e. K _rel increased with weight at 4°C, but decreased with weight at 16 and 20°C. K _rel remained high for most size-classes at 8 and 12°C. The slopes ( b -values) of the weight–length relationships decreased linearly with temperatures from 4 to 16°C.     

Niche partitioning and niche filtering jointly mediate the coexistence of three closely related spider species (Araneae,Philodromidae)

1. Several mechanisms can mediate the coexistence of species, such as the neutral dynamic, niche filtering and niche partitioning. The present study investigated which of these mechanisms mediate the coexistence of closely related spider species at the scale of one locality. 2. The coexistence of three spider species of the genus Philodromus (Philodromidae) (Philodromus albidus, Philodromus aureolus and Philodromus cespitum) was studied. The study area comprised three habitat types, including a deciduous forest, a scrub and a plum tree stand. The spatial niche properties of the Philodromus species were explored by comparing their micro/macrohabitat preferences. The natural diet of these species was analysed. Laboratory experiments involving prey acceptance were conducted to investigate the trophic niche properties. The species' phenologies were studied to compare their temporal niches. 3. The philodromids had differentiated their trophic and habitat niches. The coexistence mechanisms were therefore assessed by studying the relationships between niche overlaps and the pairwise product of relative abundances. A negative relationship was observed between functional niche overlaps and the product of relative abundances, whereas a positive relationship was observed between spatial niche overlaps and the product of relative abundances. 4. The present results suggest that different mechanisms influence different niche dimensions. Niche partitioning influenced functional niches, whereas niche filtering influenced spatial niches. The results also suggest that the filtering process in one dimension was facilitated by niche differentiation in another dimension.     

Intergenerational acclimation in aphid overwintering

Abstract.  1. When first instar nymphs and adults of the grain aphid Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Aphidiae) were maintained in long-term cultures (>6 months) at 20 °C and 10 °C, the LT₅₀ decreased from −8 and −8.8 °C to −16.0 and −13.5 °C, respectively.
2. When aphids from the 20 °C culture were transferred to 10 °C, there was a progressive increase in cold tolerance through three successive generations. Transfer of newly moulted pre-reproductive adults reared at 10 °C for three generations back to 20 °C resulted in a rapid loss of cold hardiness in their nymphal offspring.
3. In all generations reared at 10 °C, first born nymphs were more cold hardy than those born later in the birth sequence. The LT₅₀ of nymphs produced on the first day of reproduction in the first, second and third generations maintained at 10 °C were −14.8, −17.0 and −16.6 °C, respectively. Thereafter, nymphal cold hardiness decreased over the subsequent 14 days of reproduction in each generation at 10 °C with mean LT₅₀ values of −10.3, −12.6 and −14.8 °C, respectively. By contrast, the cold tolerance of first born nymphs of aphids reared continuously at 20 °C did not differ in comparison with later born siblings. The LT₅₀ of adult aphids was also unaffected by ageing.
4. The ecological relevance of these findings is discussed in relation to the overwintering survival of aphids such as S. avenae .