Temperature Effects on the Survival and Oviposition of an Invasive Blow Fly <i>Chrysomya rufifacies</i> Macquart (Diptera: Calliphoridae)
The globally increased severity and frequency of elevated temperatures are altering native species’ geographic distributions and local abundances while also increasing the invasion of new areas by exotic species. These distributional shifts have affected native species. Through two experiments, we i...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| author | Travis W. Rusch Samantha J. Sawyer Abigail E. Orr Nicholas Richter David Sohn Lauren Gagner Alexandria Smith Jeffery K. Tomberlin Aaron M. Tarone |
| author_facet | Travis W. Rusch Samantha J. Sawyer Abigail E. Orr Nicholas Richter David Sohn Lauren Gagner Alexandria Smith Jeffery K. Tomberlin Aaron M. Tarone |
| author_sort | Travis W. Rusch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The globally increased severity and frequency of elevated temperatures are altering native species’ geographic distributions and local abundances while also increasing the invasion of new areas by exotic species. These distributional shifts have affected native species. Through two experiments, we investigated the effects of temperature on the survival and oviposition of the hairy maggot blow fly <i>Chrysomya rufifacies</i> (Macquart), a highly competitive and predatory invasive blow fly of ecological, economic, and forensic importance. In our first experiment, we exposed mixed-sex colonies of <i>C. rufifacies</i> to a given temperature (10–45.0 °C) for 24 h. High survival (≥90%) was observed from 10 to 40 °C, with moderate mortality at 42.5 °C (29.2%) and high mortality at 43.5 °C (75.4%). All flies died when exposed to 44.5 or 45.0 °C for 24 h. Oviposition occurred from 22.5 to 42.5 °C, with the greatest occurrences (100%) at 30 and 35 °C and the greatest number of eggs (2035) occurring at 30 °C. Although oviposition occurred from 22.5 to 42.5 °C, egg viability was only observed from 22.5 to 37.5 °C. Thus, <i>C. rufifacies</i> has distinct thermal limits for survival, and oviposition may exhibit a bet-hedging strategy in response to temperature exposure. In our second experiment, we assessed the effects of an acute heat shock on <i>C. rufifacies</i> oviposition performance. Adult virgins (males and females) were exposed to 25.0 °C, 42.0 °C, or 44.0 °C for 1 h, and then maintained at ~25 °C in mixed-sex colonies for 14 d. Pre-breeding heat exposure had no effect on male or female reproductive success, except for females exposed to 44.0 °C. Females exposed to this temperature before breeding oviposited sooner (2.5 ± 0.0 d, 37.5% decrease), more frequently (0.5 ± 0.4, 33.3% increase), and produced more eggs (10,772.9 ± 2258.6 eggs, 73.3% increase) than female flies exposed to 25 °C. The combined results show that <i>C. rufifacies</i> survives exposures up to 43.5 °C, successfully oviposits up to 37.5 °C, and accelerates both oviposition timing and intensity following brief exposure to near upper lethal temperatures (44.0 °C), potentially provides <i>C. rufifacies</i> a competitive advantage over native calliphorids in warming environments. |
| format | Article |
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| spelling | doaj-art-e5d85ad0839d4982a4bf70029579e8d72025-08-20T02:11:14ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502025-03-0116331010.3390/insects16030310Temperature Effects on the Survival and Oviposition of an Invasive Blow Fly <i>Chrysomya rufifacies</i> Macquart (Diptera: Calliphoridae)Travis W. Rusch0Samantha J. Sawyer1Abigail E. Orr2Nicholas Richter3David Sohn4Lauren Gagner5Alexandria Smith6Jeffery K. Tomberlin7Aaron M. Tarone8Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USAThe globally increased severity and frequency of elevated temperatures are altering native species’ geographic distributions and local abundances while also increasing the invasion of new areas by exotic species. These distributional shifts have affected native species. Through two experiments, we investigated the effects of temperature on the survival and oviposition of the hairy maggot blow fly <i>Chrysomya rufifacies</i> (Macquart), a highly competitive and predatory invasive blow fly of ecological, economic, and forensic importance. In our first experiment, we exposed mixed-sex colonies of <i>C. rufifacies</i> to a given temperature (10–45.0 °C) for 24 h. High survival (≥90%) was observed from 10 to 40 °C, with moderate mortality at 42.5 °C (29.2%) and high mortality at 43.5 °C (75.4%). All flies died when exposed to 44.5 or 45.0 °C for 24 h. Oviposition occurred from 22.5 to 42.5 °C, with the greatest occurrences (100%) at 30 and 35 °C and the greatest number of eggs (2035) occurring at 30 °C. Although oviposition occurred from 22.5 to 42.5 °C, egg viability was only observed from 22.5 to 37.5 °C. Thus, <i>C. rufifacies</i> has distinct thermal limits for survival, and oviposition may exhibit a bet-hedging strategy in response to temperature exposure. In our second experiment, we assessed the effects of an acute heat shock on <i>C. rufifacies</i> oviposition performance. Adult virgins (males and females) were exposed to 25.0 °C, 42.0 °C, or 44.0 °C for 1 h, and then maintained at ~25 °C in mixed-sex colonies for 14 d. Pre-breeding heat exposure had no effect on male or female reproductive success, except for females exposed to 44.0 °C. Females exposed to this temperature before breeding oviposited sooner (2.5 ± 0.0 d, 37.5% decrease), more frequently (0.5 ± 0.4, 33.3% increase), and produced more eggs (10,772.9 ± 2258.6 eggs, 73.3% increase) than female flies exposed to 25 °C. The combined results show that <i>C. rufifacies</i> survives exposures up to 43.5 °C, successfully oviposits up to 37.5 °C, and accelerates both oviposition timing and intensity following brief exposure to near upper lethal temperatures (44.0 °C), potentially provides <i>C. rufifacies</i> a competitive advantage over native calliphorids in warming environments.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/3/310acute stressbet-hedgingreproductionthermal performancethermal tolerance |
| spellingShingle | Travis W. Rusch Samantha J. Sawyer Abigail E. Orr Nicholas Richter David Sohn Lauren Gagner Alexandria Smith Jeffery K. Tomberlin Aaron M. Tarone Temperature Effects on the Survival and Oviposition of an Invasive Blow Fly <i>Chrysomya rufifacies</i> Macquart (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Insects acute stress bet-hedging reproduction thermal performance thermal tolerance |
| title | Temperature Effects on the Survival and Oviposition of an Invasive Blow Fly <i>Chrysomya rufifacies</i> Macquart (Diptera: Calliphoridae) |
| title_full | Temperature Effects on the Survival and Oviposition of an Invasive Blow Fly <i>Chrysomya rufifacies</i> Macquart (Diptera: Calliphoridae) |
| title_fullStr | Temperature Effects on the Survival and Oviposition of an Invasive Blow Fly <i>Chrysomya rufifacies</i> Macquart (Diptera: Calliphoridae) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Temperature Effects on the Survival and Oviposition of an Invasive Blow Fly <i>Chrysomya rufifacies</i> Macquart (Diptera: Calliphoridae) |
| title_short | Temperature Effects on the Survival and Oviposition of an Invasive Blow Fly <i>Chrysomya rufifacies</i> Macquart (Diptera: Calliphoridae) |
| title_sort | temperature effects on the survival and oviposition of an invasive blow fly i chrysomya rufifacies i macquart diptera calliphoridae |
| topic | acute stress bet-hedging reproduction thermal performance thermal tolerance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/3/310 |
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