Standard metabolic rate variation among New Zealand Orthoptera

Standard metabolic rates (SMR) of ectotherms reflect the energetic cost of self-maintenance and thus provide important information about life-history strategies of organisms. We examined variation in SMR among fifteen species of New Zealand orthopteran. These species represent a heterogeneous group...

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Main Authors: Mariana Bulgarella, John Haywood, Eddy J. Dowle, Mary Morgan-Richards, Steven A. Trewick
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-01-01
Series:Current Research in Insect Science
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666515824000222
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author Mariana Bulgarella
John Haywood
Eddy J. Dowle
Mary Morgan-Richards
Steven A. Trewick
author_facet Mariana Bulgarella
John Haywood
Eddy J. Dowle
Mary Morgan-Richards
Steven A. Trewick
author_sort Mariana Bulgarella
collection DOAJ
description Standard metabolic rates (SMR) of ectotherms reflect the energetic cost of self-maintenance and thus provide important information about life-history strategies of organisms. We examined variation in SMR among fifteen species of New Zealand orthopteran. These species represent a heterogeneous group with a wide geographic distribution, differing morphologies and life histories. Gathering original data on morphological and physiological traits of individual species is a first step towards understanding existing variability. Individual metabolic rates of ectotherms are one of the first traits to respond to climate change. Baseline SMR datasets are valuable for modeling current species distributions and their responses to a changing climate. At higher latitudes, the average environmental temperature decreases. The pattern that cold-adapted ectotherms display higher SMR at colder temperatures and greater thermal sensitivity to compensate for lower temperatures and the shorter growing and reproductive seasons is predicted from the metabolic cold adaptation (MCA) hypothesis. We predict higher SMR for the orthopteran species found at higher latitudes. We further compared the index of thermal sensitivity Q10 per species. We used closed-system respirometry to measure SMR, at two test temperatures (4 °C and 14 °C), for the fifteen species acclimated to the same conditions. As expected, we found significant differences in SMR among species. The rate of oxygen consumption was positively correlated with body mass. Our findings do not support the MCA hypothesis. In fact, we found evidence of co-gradient variation in SMR, whereby insects from higher elevations and latitudes presented lower SMR. We discuss our findings in relation to life histories and ecology of each species. The novel physiological data presented will aid in understanding potential responses of these unusual species to changing climatic conditions in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
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spelling doaj-art-ecf76973b438425995e8c9f54da57ba32024-12-12T05:23:19ZengElsevierCurrent Research in Insect Science2666-51582024-01-016100092Standard metabolic rate variation among New Zealand OrthopteraMariana Bulgarella0John Haywood1Eddy J. Dowle2Mary Morgan-Richards3Steven A. Trewick4Ecology, College of Science, Massey University Manawatū, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand; School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand; Corresponding author.School of Mathematics and Statistics, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, New ZealandAnatomy Department, Otago University, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New ZealandEcology, College of Science, Massey University Manawatū, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New ZealandEcology, College of Science, Massey University Manawatū, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New ZealandStandard metabolic rates (SMR) of ectotherms reflect the energetic cost of self-maintenance and thus provide important information about life-history strategies of organisms. We examined variation in SMR among fifteen species of New Zealand orthopteran. These species represent a heterogeneous group with a wide geographic distribution, differing morphologies and life histories. Gathering original data on morphological and physiological traits of individual species is a first step towards understanding existing variability. Individual metabolic rates of ectotherms are one of the first traits to respond to climate change. Baseline SMR datasets are valuable for modeling current species distributions and their responses to a changing climate. At higher latitudes, the average environmental temperature decreases. The pattern that cold-adapted ectotherms display higher SMR at colder temperatures and greater thermal sensitivity to compensate for lower temperatures and the shorter growing and reproductive seasons is predicted from the metabolic cold adaptation (MCA) hypothesis. We predict higher SMR for the orthopteran species found at higher latitudes. We further compared the index of thermal sensitivity Q10 per species. We used closed-system respirometry to measure SMR, at two test temperatures (4 °C and 14 °C), for the fifteen species acclimated to the same conditions. As expected, we found significant differences in SMR among species. The rate of oxygen consumption was positively correlated with body mass. Our findings do not support the MCA hypothesis. In fact, we found evidence of co-gradient variation in SMR, whereby insects from higher elevations and latitudes presented lower SMR. We discuss our findings in relation to life histories and ecology of each species. The novel physiological data presented will aid in understanding potential responses of these unusual species to changing climatic conditions in Aotearoa/New Zealand.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666515824000222Body massCricketGrasshopperKatydidRate of oxygen consumptionTemperature
spellingShingle Mariana Bulgarella
John Haywood
Eddy J. Dowle
Mary Morgan-Richards
Steven A. Trewick
Standard metabolic rate variation among New Zealand Orthoptera
Current Research in Insect Science
Body mass
Cricket
Grasshopper
Katydid
Rate of oxygen consumption
Temperature
title Standard metabolic rate variation among New Zealand Orthoptera
title_full Standard metabolic rate variation among New Zealand Orthoptera
title_fullStr Standard metabolic rate variation among New Zealand Orthoptera
title_full_unstemmed Standard metabolic rate variation among New Zealand Orthoptera
title_short Standard metabolic rate variation among New Zealand Orthoptera
title_sort standard metabolic rate variation among new zealand orthoptera
topic Body mass
Cricket
Grasshopper
Katydid
Rate of oxygen consumption
Temperature
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666515824000222
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AT johnhaywood standardmetabolicratevariationamongnewzealandorthoptera
AT eddyjdowle standardmetabolicratevariationamongnewzealandorthoptera
AT marymorganrichards standardmetabolicratevariationamongnewzealandorthoptera
AT stevenatrewick standardmetabolicratevariationamongnewzealandorthoptera