Metabolic Response of Aphid Cinara tujafilina to Cold Stress

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Aphid species that have widened their ranges due to climate change, like other insects, must adapt to low temperatures to avoid death. The metabolic changes in the body of the aphid that enabled it to survive the low temperatures of winter were investigated. Features, such as reducing their metabolic rate, an accumulation of sugars and polyols, and increased levels of some amino acids and fatty acids allow the aphids to overwinter as active-stage on the plant. ABSTRACT: Climate changes enable thermophilic insect species to expand their ranges, but also force them to adapt to unfavourable environmental conditions in new habitats. Focusing on Cinara tujafilina, we investigated the metabolic changes in the body of the aphid that enabled it to survive the low temperatures of winter. Using GC–MS analysis, differences in the chemical composition of the aphids in summer and winter were found. The metabolic changes were mainly related to the increased activity of the pathways of carbohydrate metabolism, such as glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway; a decrease in tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA); accumulation of polyols; and increased levels of proline, tyrosine, and fatty acids.