Data from: Evolution determines how global warming and pesticide exposure will shape predator-prey interactions with vector mosquitoes

How evolution may mitigate the effects of global warming and pesticide exposure on predator-prey interactions is directly relevant for vector control. Using a space-for-time substitution approach we addressed how 4°C warming and exposure to the pesticide endosulfan shape the predation on Culex pipiens mosquitoes by damselfly predators from replicated low- and high-latitude populations. Although warming was only lethal for the mosquitoes, it reduced predation rates on the mosquitoes. Possibly, under warming escape speeds of the mosquitoes increased more than the attack efficiency of the predators. Endosulfan imposed mortality and induced behavioral changes (including increased filtering and thrashing and a positional shift away from the bottom) in mosquito larvae. Although the pesticide was only lethal for the mosquitoes, it reduced predation rates by the low-latitude predators. This can be explained by the combination of the evolution of a faster life history and associated higher vulnerabilities to the pesticide (in terms of growth rate and lowered foraging activity) in the low-latitude predators and pesticide-induced survival selection in the mosquitoes. Our results suggest that predation rates on mosquitoes at the high latitude will be reduced under warming unless predators evolve toward the current low-latitude phenotype or low-latitude predators move polewards.

演化如何缓解全球变暖和农药暴露对捕食者-猎物互作的影响，这与媒介生物防控直接相关。本研究采用空间代时间替代法（space-for-time substitution），探究4℃增温与农药硫丹（endosulfan）暴露，如何影响来自重复设置的低、高纬度种群的蟌（damselfly）捕食者对尖音库蚊（Culex pipiens）的捕食率。尽管增温仅对蚊虫具有致死效应，但却降低了对蚊虫的捕食率。推测在增温条件下，蚊虫的逃逸速度提升幅度超过捕食者的攻击效率提升幅度。硫丹可导致蚊虫幼虫死亡，并引发其行为改变，包括滤食行为增强、扭动频率提升以及向远离水底的位置迁移。尽管该农药仅对蚊虫具有致死性，却降低了低纬度捕食者的捕食率。这一现象可由两方面因素共同解释：一是低纬度捕食者演化出较快的生活史对策，由此在生长速率与觅食活性降低层面表现出对农药更高的易感性；二是蚊虫受到农药诱导的存活选择压力。本研究结果表明，高纬度地区蚊虫的捕食率将随增温而下降，除非捕食者演化出当前低纬度种群的表型，或是低纬度捕食者向极地迁移。