Drought and heat waves associated with climate change affect performance of the potato aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae

dc.contributor.authorBeetge, Lezel
dc.contributor.authorKruger, Kerstin
dc.contributor.emailkkruger@zoology.up.ac.zaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2019-08-26T12:32:35Z
dc.date.available2019-08-26T12:32:35Z
dc.date.issued2019-03-06
dc.description.abstractThe combined effect of drought and heat waves on insect-plant interactions is complex and not fully understood. Insects may indirectly benefit from water-deficit stress through increased plant nitrogen levels. Heat stress may have a direct negative effect, yet insect performance may be improved when day-time heat is followed by cooler night temperatures. We show that moderate water-deficit stress (25–30% pot capacity) and high day-night temperatures (30/20 °C) affected Macrosiphum euphorbiae on potato (Solanum tuberosum) differently than their interactions. Water stress lowered stomatal conductance, and both water and heat stress reduced leaf area. The effect of water stress on nymphal and adult survival depended on temperature. Water stress added to reduced nymphal survival at high but not current (25/15 °C) day-night temperatures. Adult survival at high temperatures was reduced only when combined with water stress. Water stress and high temperatures independently but not interactively reduced the number of daily offspring. Moderate water stress when combined with high temperatures had a negative bottom-up effect on aphid survival even though lower night temperatures aided in the recovery from direct heat stress. Our study illustrates the importance of combining multiple stressors to better understand their impact on insect-plant interactions in the context of climate change.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentZoology and Entomologyen_ZA
dc.description.librarianam2019en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorshipPotatoes South Africa, the Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (THRIP) and the University of Pretoria. Lezel Beetge received an MSc bursary from the Potato Industry Development Trust.en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://www.nature.com/srepen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBeetge, L. & Kruger, K. 2019, 'Drought and heat waves associated with climate change affect performance of the potato aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae', Scientific Reports, vol. 9, art. 3645, pp. 1-9.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn2045-2322 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1038/s41598-018-37493-8
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/71208
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherNature Publishing Groupen_ZA
dc.rights© The Author(s) 2019. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.en_ZA
dc.subjectDroughten_ZA
dc.subjectClimate changeen_ZA
dc.subjectMacrosiphum euphorbiaeen_ZA
dc.subjectHeat waveen_ZA
dc.subjectPotato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae)en_ZA
dc.titleDrought and heat waves associated with climate change affect performance of the potato aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiaeen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA

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