Thermal acclimation in a complex life cycle: The effects of larval and adult thermal conditions on metabolic rate and heat resistance in Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae)

It has now been well established that insects can respond to variation in their environment via acclimation, yet the extent of the response varies among populations and environmental characteristics. One under-investigated theme which may contribute to this variation concerns acclimation effects across the life cycle. The present study explores how acclimation in the larval stage of Culex pipiens affects thermal relations in the adult stage. Mosquitoes were reared in a full factorial design at 18 or 26 °C as larvae and adults, then critical thermal maxima (CT_max) and metabolic rate–temperature relationships (MR–T) were determined for all 4 treatments. CT_max was positively affected by both larval and adult acclimation treatments. MR–T slope was significantly affected only by adult treatment: warm acclimated adults had on average shallower slopes and higher y-intercepts than cool acclimated ones. These results demonstrate that larval acclimation effects can alter adult phenotypes in a species whose life cycle includes two drastically different environments, an aquatic and a terrestrial stage. Studying insects with complex life cycles, especially those with aquatic or subterranean larval stages, can provide valuable information on the effects of thermal variability and predictability on phenotypic plasticity.