The critical thermal maximum of diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae): a comparison of subterranean and surface-dwelling species

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dc.contributor.authorJones, K.K.
dc.contributor.authorHumphreys, W.F.
dc.contributor.authorSaccò, M.
dc.contributor.authorBertozzi, T.
dc.contributor.authorAustin, A.D.
dc.contributor.authorCooper, S.J.B.
dc.date.issued2021
dc.description.abstractThermal tolerance limits in animals are often thought to be related to temperature and thermal variation in their environment. Recently, there has been a focus on studying upper thermal limits due to the likelihood for climate change to expose more animals to higher temperatures and potentially extinction. Organisms living in under- ground environments experience reduced temperatures and thermal variation in comparison to species living in surface habitats, but how these impact their thermal tolerance limits are unclear. In this study, we compare the thermal critical maximum (CTmax) of two subterranean diving beetles (Dytiscidae) to that of three related surface-dwelling species. Our results show that subterranean species have a lower CTmax (38.3-39.0°C) than surface species (42.0-44.5°C). The CTmax of subterranean species is ∼10°C higher than the highest temperature recorded within the aquifer. Groundwater temperature varied between 18.4°C and 28.8°C, and changes with time, depth and distance across the aquifer. Seasonal temperature fluctuations were 0.5°C at a single point, with the maximum heating rate being ∼1000x lower (0.008°C/hour) than that recorded in surface habitats (7.98°C/hour). For surface species, CTmax was 7-10°C higher than the maximum temperature in their habitats, with daily fluc- tuations from ∼1°C to 16°C and extremes of 6.9°C and 34.9°C. These findings suggest that subterranean dytiscid beetles are unlikely to reach their CTmax with a predicted warming of 1.3-5.1°C in the region by 2090. However, the impacts of long-term elevated temperatures on fitness, different life stages and other species in the beetle’s trophic food web are unknown.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityKarl K. Jones, William F. Humphreys, Mattia Saccòe, Terry Bertozzi, Andy D. Austin, Steven J.B. Cooper
dc.identifier.citationCurrent Research in Insect Science, 2021; 1:100019-1-100019-10
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.cris.2021.100019
dc.identifier.issn2666-5158
dc.identifier.issn2666-5158
dc.identifier.orcidBertozzi, T. [0000-0001-6665-3395]
dc.identifier.orcidAustin, A.D. [0000-0002-9602-2276]
dc.identifier.orcidCooper, S.J.B. [0000-0002-7843-8438]
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2440/136535
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier BV
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP180103851
dc.rights© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ )
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.cris.2021.100019
dc.subjectAquatic insect; stygobiotic; temperature; thermal variability hypothesis; aquifer; CTmax
dc.titleThe critical thermal maximum of diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae): a comparison of subterranean and surface-dwelling species
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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