Orthosia simulation experiment data

Consequences of climate change-driven shifts in the relative timing of spring activities of interacting species are insufficiently understood, especially for insects. We use a controlled experiment which simulates a trophic mismatch scenario in which lepidopteran larvae predominately feed on older leaves due to foliage developing faster than larvae growth rates. As a case study our experiment uses Orthosia cerasi, which is a widespread but declining woodland moth whose UK declines appear to be driven by warming temperatures. In the control experiment larvae are fed young oak Quercus robur leaves (bud burst stages six and seven), whilst in the treatment newly emerged larvae are fed young leaves but then gradually transition to feed on older leaves (post bud burst stage seven). We assess impacts on duration of the larval stage, pupal size and overwintering duration and survival. Larvae in the phenological mismatch treatment had a longer larval period, and smaller and lighter pupae. Larval diet did not carry over to influence emergence dates as earlier pupation of control larvae was balanced by an equivalent increase in the duration of the pupal stage. Increased time spent as larvae could increase predation rates from avian predators, whilst slowing the seasonal decline in food availability for those bird species. Reduced pupal size and weight are indicators of lower fecundity in emerging adults. Notably, we find that adults emerging from the mismatch treatment exhibited greater rates of abnormal vestigial wing development, which is likely to further reduce fitness. Trophic mismatches in which caterpillars have reduced availability of young leaves may thus contribute to the population declines observed in many woodland moth species due to increased mortality at larval stages, and adverse effects of early life conditions that reduce the reproductive success of emerging adults.

气候变化驱动的互作物种春季活动相对时序偏移所带来的生态后果，目前仍未得到充分解析，针对昆虫类群的相关研究尤为匮乏。本研究通过控制实验模拟了营养级错配（trophic mismatch）情景：当植物叶片发育速率快于鳞翅目幼虫生长速率时，幼虫将主要取食成熟老叶。本研究以栎夜蛾（*Orthosia cerasi*）为研究对象开展案例实验：该物种是一种分布广泛但种群数量正逐步下降的林地蛾类，英国境内其种群衰退被认为与气温升高直接相关。对照组实验中，幼虫被饲喂幼龄夏栎（*Quercus robur*）叶片（芽萌动阶段6至7）；处理组则先为新孵化幼虫提供幼叶，随后逐步将其饲喂对象切换至成熟老叶（芽萌动阶段7之后）。本研究评估了该处理对幼虫期时长、蛹体尺寸、越冬时长及越冬存活率的影响。经历物候错配（phenological mismatch）处理的幼虫，其幼虫期更长，最终羽化的蛹体尺寸更小、体重更轻。幼虫取食经历并未对成虫羽化日期产生遗留影响：对照组幼虫更早化蛹，但这一优势被其蛹期时长的同等延长所抵消。幼虫期的延长可能会提升其遭受鸟类捕食者捕食的概率，同时也会延缓该鸟类物候对应的食物资源季节性衰减进程。蛹体尺寸与体重的降低，预示着羽化成虫的繁殖力会有所下降。值得注意的是，本研究发现错配处理组羽化的成虫，其残翅发育异常的发生率显著更高，这将进一步降低种群适合度。因此，当鳞翅目幼虫可获取的幼叶资源减少时所引发的营养级错配，可能通过提升幼虫阶段的死亡率，以及通过早期发育环境的不利影响降低羽化成虫的繁殖成功率，进而促成诸多林地蛾类的种群衰退现象。

搜集汇总

背景与挑战

背景概述

该数据集包含一个模拟气候变化的实验数据，研究营养级不匹配对Orthosia cerasi林地蛾的影响。实验通过控制幼虫饮食（年轻与年老橡树叶子），分析幼虫期时长、蛹大小和重量以及成虫翅膀发育异常等指标，揭示了气候变化可能导致种群下降的机制，如幼虫期延长和繁殖成功率降低。数据来源于2022年发布，包含Excel和CSV文件，用于支持生态学和气候变化研究。