Effects of Repeated Short-Term Heat Exposure on Life History Traits of Colorado Potato Beetle

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Colorado potato beetle (CPB), is a serious pest of Solanaceae in China. High temperature under climate change is one of the main factors that affect the growth and fecundity of insects. In this study, CPB eggs and adults were repeatedly heat-treated at 35 °C and 39 °C for 1, 3 and 5 d (4 h a day), and at optimal 27 °C, and its egg hatching and adult reproduction were observed to explore the impact of short-term heat exposure on the population growth of CPBs. Our research has found that short-term heat exposure is not conducive to the development and reproduction of CPBs. These studies can contribute to deeper understanding how short-term heat exposure change CPBs fitness. ABSTRACT: The Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is an internationally recognized destructive pest which has caused serious losses to the potato industry. To clarify the impact of repeated short-term heat exposure on CPB egg hatching and adult fecundity under climate change, CPB eggs and adults were treated with repeated short-term heat exposure in this study. We found that the hatching rate of CPB eggs, the total number of eggs laid per female, the oviposition period, the intrinsic rate of population increase (r(m)), finite rate of increase (λ), and the net reproductive rate (R(0)) of CPBs decreased with increasing temperature. The hatching rate and fecundity of CPBs were significantly lower than those of control (CK) after repeated short-term heat exposure. Our research has found that repeated short-term heat exposure is not conducive to the development and reproduction of CPBs.