Effects of elevated CO₂ and temperature on survival and wing dimorphism of two species of rice planthoppers (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) under interaction

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Anthropogenic climate change (ACC) may have significant impacts on insect herbivore communities including pests. Two of the most important climate-change related factors are increased atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and increasing mean global temperature. Although increasing attention is being paid to the biological and ecological effects of ACC, important processes such as interspecific interaction between insect herbivores have been little explored. Here, in a field experiment using the FACE (free-air CO 2 enrichment) system, we investigated the effect of elevated CO 2 and temperature on survival and wing dimorphism of two species of rice planthoppers, Laodelphax striatellus and Nilaparvata lugens under interaction.RESULTS: The two species were grouped into five treatments of relative density (0/50, 13/37, 25/25, and 37/13, 50/0), each of which was allocated to one of a factorial combination of two CO 2 concentrations and two temperature treatments (elevated and ambient levels). Our results revealed that climatic treatment has no effects on survivorship of interspecific competing planthoppers. However, climatic treatment affected wing-form of planthoppers under interspecific interaction. For females of N. lugens, in the 37/13 ratio, proportion macropterours form was lower under elevated CO 2 + temperature than under the ambient environment or than under elevated temperature. For females of L. striatellus, proportion macropterous form did not differ among climatic treatments at each ratio treatment.CONCLUSION: These findings illustrate that climate change-related factors, by affecting the macropetry of interspecific competing planthoppers, may influence planthopper fitness. We provide new information that could assist with forecasting outbreaks of these migratory pests.

Influence of an elevated CO2level on life history parameters and hormone pathway or vitellogenin metabolism of the brown planthopper

“…Under the current global climate change, arthropods in rice fields are adapting to this change in various ways (Heong et al., 1995), such as BPH. Studies focused on how global climate change affects development and fecundity of BPH (Jeong et al., 2020; Liu et al., 2020; Wan, Dang, et al., 2014; Wang et al., 2020). However, few researches have reported the effects of hormones on the growth and development of BPH at elevated CO 2 .…”

Positive and negative interspecific interactions between coexisting rice planthoppers neutralise the effects of elevated temperatures

“…Such studies have shown that changes in climate can alter the outcomes of interactions between competing herbivores to affect herbivore community structure and the composition of plant communities (Lin et al., 2018; Ntiri et al. 2016; Schädler et al., 2007; Sun et al., 2009; Wang et al., 2018; Wang et al., 2020). Much of this previous research on the nature of temperature‐dependent interspecific interactions between herbivorous insects has focused primarily on interspecific competition for resources without assessing the effects of temperature on positive or negative interspecific interactions as mediated through plant defence pathways.…”

“…Some detailed multi-trophic studies have been conducted to elucidate the potential effects of elevated temperatures and other changes in climate on the population dynamics of phloem feeders and on their impacts on host plants, including crops (Barton & Ives, 2014;Han et al, 2019;Meisner et al, 2014). Such studies have shown that changes in climate can alter the outcomes of interactions between competing herbivores to affect herbivore community structure and the composition of plant communities (Lin et al, 2018;Ntiri et al 2016;Schädler et al, 2007;Sun et al, 2009;Wang et al, 2018;Wang et al, 2020). Much of this previous research on the nature of temperature-dependent interspecific interactions between herbivorous insects has focused primarily on interspecific competition for resources without assessing the effects of temperature on positive or negative interspecific interactions as mediated through plant defence pathways.…”