Complex responses of global insect pests to climate warming

Although it is well known that insects are sensitive to temperature, how they will be affected by ongoing global warming remains uncertain because these responses are multifaceted and ecologically complex. We reviewed the effects of climate warming on 31 globally important phytophagous (plant-eating...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in ecology and the environment 2020-04, Vol.18 (3), p.141-150
Main Authors: Lehmann, Philipp, Ammunét, Tea, Barton, Madeleine, Battisti, Andrea, Eigenbrode, Sanford D, Jepsen, Jane Uhd, Kalinkat, Gregor, Neuvonen, Seppo, Niemelä, Pekka, Terblanche, John S, Økland, Bjørn, Björkman, Christer
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Climate
Climate change
Climate effects
Ecological effects
Ecology
Ekologi
Global warming
Herbivores
Insects
Life history
Pests
Population dynamics
Range extension
REVIEWS
Species
Trophic relationships
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Summary:Although it is well known that insects are sensitive to temperature, how they will be affected by ongoing global warming remains uncertain because these responses are multifaceted and ecologically complex. We reviewed the effects of climate warming on 31 globally important phytophagous (plant-eating) insect pests to determine whether general trends in their responses to warming were detectable. We included four response categories (range expansion, life history, population dynamics, and trophic interactions) in this assessment. For the majority of these species, we identified at least one response to warming that affects the severity of the threat they pose as pests. Among these insect species, 41% showed responses expected to lead to increased pest damage, whereas only 4% exhibited responses consistent with reduced effects; notably, most of these species (55%) demonstrated mixed responses. This means that the severity of a given insect pest may both increase and decrease with ongoing climate warming. Overall, our analysis indicated that anticipating the effects of climate warming on phytophagous insect pests is far from straightforward. Rather, efforts to mitigate the undesirable effects of warming on insect pests must include a better understanding of how individual species will respond, and the complex ecological mechanisms underlying their responses.
ISSN:1540-9295
1540-9309
1540-9309
DOI:10.1002/fee.2160