thermal tolerance plasticity in Chagas disease vectors.xlsx

Each treatment consisted of exposing 5th instarnymphs to a certain environmental temperature (14, 21, 28 or 35°C) for a week in a chamber under a 12:12 photoperiod (light on 9:00 am). On the 7th day, critical thermal maxima (CTmax), critical thermal minimum (CTmin) orchill-coma recovery time (CCRT), were determined as response variables. CTmax was considered as the temperature at which insects lose locomotor activity. CTmin was considered as the temperature at which insects loose coordinated muscular function. To determine CCRT specimens were placed in an adiabatic container with liquid water and ice (ca. 0°C) for one hour. Then, the time elapsed until insects turn round from a ventral side up position was recorded. Insects that did not recover after one hour were designated as “non-recovered”.