Development of gypsy moth larvae feeding on red maple saplings at elevated CO2 and temperature

• Published in: Oecologia 2003-09, Vol.137 (1), p.114-122
• Main Authors: Williams, Ray S, Lincoln, David E, Norby, Richard J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acer rubrum; age structure; air temperature; Ambient temperature; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Butterflies & moths; Carbohydrates; Carbon dioxide; Carbon Dioxide - metabolism; carbon dioxide enrichment; carbon dioxide production; chronic exposure; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Environmental degradation: ecosystems survey and restoration; Feeding Behavior; females; Foliage; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Global Change Ecology; Global temperatures; global warming; High temperature; Insect development; Insect larvae; Insects; instars; Larva; Larvae; Larval development; Leaves; Lymantria dispar; males; mortality; Moths; Moths - physiology; Nitrogen - metabolism; phenolic compounds; Phenols; Phytochemicals; Phytophagous insects; phytopharmaceuticals; Plant biochemistry; Plant Leaves - metabolism; plant-insect relations; Pupae; pupation; rearing; saplings; Starch; Temperature; Trees - metabolism; Water - metabolism; weight
• ISSN: 0029-8549; 1432-1939
• DOI: 10.1007/s00442-003-1327-z

Predicted increases in atmospheric CO₂ and global mean temperature may alter important plant-insect associations due to the direct effects of temperature on insect development and the indirect effects of elevated temperature and CO₂ enrichment on phytochemicals important for insect success. We investigated the effects of CO₂ and temperature on the interaction between gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) larvae and red maple (Acer rubrum L.) saplings by bagging first instar larvae within open-top chambers at four CO₂/temperature treatments: (1) ambient temperature, ambient CO₂, (2) ambient temperature, elevated CO₂ (+300 μl l⁻¹ CO₂), (3) elevated temperature (+3.5°C), ambient CO₂, and (4) elevated temperature, elevated CO₂. Larvae were reared to pupation and leaf samples taken biweekly to determine levels of total N, water, non-structural carbohydrates, and an estimate of defensive phenolic compounds in three age classes of foliage: (1) immature, (2) mid-mature and (3) mature. Elevated growth temperature marginally reduced (P