Document Type

Data Set

Publication Date

2023

Abstract

In response to physical damage, organisms must balance physical recovery with adaptive responses to other environmental stressors. Understanding how damage and repair influence adaptive responses to high environmental temperatures is of particular interest in light of global climate change. We investigate the impact of damage and subsequent repair on heat-avoidance behaviors in Cydia saltitans larvae inhabiting host seeds (Sebastiana pavoniana) as protective structures (together colloquially known as “Mexican jumping beans”). These larvae perform temperature-dependent “jumping” or “rolling” behaviors to escape extreme heat, which are crucial for larval survival in their native arid and hot subtropical dry forests. Due to possible energetic costs of repair, we hypothesized that experiencing sequential damage (and repair) prior to heat would reduce larval movement away from extreme heat when compared to the simultaneous damage and heat group or the undamaged control group. Results show that larvae in control conditions exhibited greater displacement from heat compared to those in the sequential or simultaneous damage groups. Contrary to predictions, sequential damage and repair compromised heat avoidance similarly to the group experiencing damage alone. Reduced movement in both groups experiencing damage may be linked to energy allocation, damage-dependent thermal preference, or an adaptive antipredator response. These findings contribute to our understanding of how environmental stressors interact to shape behavioral responses in insects with “extended architecture.” As global temperatures rise, insights into adaptive behaviors are increasingly crucial.

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