Effects of Temperature on Voltinism in Subalpine Potter Wasps (Vespidae: Eumeninae)

Abstract

Voltinism, the number of generations produced per year, is under both genetic and environmental control in insects. The rapid temperature increases associated with climate change could distort the information insects are obtaining from environmental cues and possibly alter the number of generations produced per year. This summer I investigated the effects of temperature on voltinism in potter wasps (Vespidae: Eumeninae). Previous observations suggest that some eumenines around RMBL are bivoltine, while most are univoltine. I focused on whether variables such as temperature, time of year at which an egg was laid, source population, or taxon may be responsible for this variation. I observed individual wasps building nests at multiple study sites varying in elevation, collected completed nests from said sites, isolated eggs or larvae from these nests and subjected them to one of two temperature conditions (boxes exposed to warm or cool temperatures) to observe the effects on development and time until an individual began cocooning. Warm boxes experienced average maximum daily temperatures 4-18°C warmer than cooler boxes. A generalized linear mixed model showed that while site of origin, date laid and box pair had no effect on rates of cocooning, final age, temperature treatment, and source nest did. These results demonstrate how environmental factors influence wasp development. While genetic effects may factor in as well, more work must be done to conclude that the effect of source nest isn't merely a result of additional environmental factors such as those experienced in early life (before the start of experimental treatments) or maternal effects. These results add to our understanding of the broader consequences of climatic warming for insect life-history strategies and potential changes in eumenine wasp populations. 1

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