Dataset for: Effects of constant versus fluctuating temperatures on fitness indicators of the aphid Dysaphis plantaginea and the parasitoid Aphidius matricariae

This is the dataset for the article entitled: Effects of constant versus fluctuating temperatures on fitness indicators of the aphid Dysaphis plantaginea and the parasitoid Aphidius matricariae. Like all organisms, insects encounter temperatures that fluctuate on different time scales: within a day, between days, or throughout the seasons. However, most studies on the impact of temperature on insect physiology, behaviour, morphology or ecology have focused on constant temperatures tested in the laboratory. In our study, we wanted to know if fluctuating temperatures during the day (7—17°C, average 12°C) can affect insects differently compared to a constant temperature of 12°C. We use as a model the apple aphid Dysaphis plantaginea, a major threat to apple orchards worldwide, and its parasitoid Aphidius matricariae, which is used in biological control. We found that many traits—but not all—were affected. In particular, the fluctuating thermal regime decreased the development time of aphids and parasitoids, improved the rate of parasitism, and tended (albeit slightly) to improve the survival of both species. In contrast, we did not find strong effects on morphological traits. Our results can be used to better predict how these agronomically important insects behave in orchards, how fluctuating temperatures affect host-parasitoid relationships, and ultimately what the implications are in the context of climate change and biological control.

本数据集对应研究论文题为：恒定温度与波动温度对苹果蚜（Dysaphis plantaginea）及其寄生蜂母菊蚜茧蜂（Aphidius matricariae）适合度指标的影响。与所有生物一样，昆虫会遭遇不同时间尺度的温度波动：日内波动、日间波动与季节性波动。然而，现有绝大多数探讨温度对昆虫生理、行为、形态及生态学影响的研究，均聚焦于实验室环境下设置的恒定温度处理。本研究旨在探究日间波动温度（7—17℃，平均12℃）与恒定12℃温度对昆虫的影响是否存在差异。本研究选取全球范围内对苹果园构成重大威胁的苹果蚜（Dysaphis plantaginea）及其应用于生物防治的寄生蜂母菊蚜茧蜂（Aphidius matricariae）作为模式研究对象。研究结果显示，多数而非全部生命特征受到温度处理的影响：具体而言，波动温度条件缩短了蚜虫与寄生蜂的发育时长，提升了寄生率，且尽管幅度较小，仍对两个物种的存活率具有一定改善作用；与之相对，本研究未观测到温度处理对形态特征存在显著影响。本研究结果可用于更精准地预测这类具有农业经济重要性的昆虫在苹果园中的行为表现、波动温度对寄主-寄生蜂互作关系的影响，以及最终在气候变化与生物防治背景下的相关生态学意义。