Speaker

Martin Schebeck (University of Göttingen, Germany)

Abstract

Insects face fluctuations of environmental conditions throughout a year. They have to exploit favorable resources to increase fitness, and to mitigate stress to decrease mortality risks. A widespread strategy to time seasonal occurrence and be well prepared for critical events is to enter dormancy. Many insects in temperate and polar regions express a special form of dormancy, called diapause, to synchronize their life cycles with critical resources and to buffer against environmental stress. Diapause affects multiple life-history traits, including development, reproduction, or activity, explaining the distribution and performance of many species. In this talk, I will present recent research on diapause of insects inhabiting forest ecosystems. The topics will cover seasonal adaptations of insects to increase survival during harsh winters, how species use environmental information to be well prepared for critical times of their life, or how molecular regulators of diapause can be used to predict the reproductive performance of a widespread beetle. I will also talk about strategies how insects manage energy budgets and adjust their metabolism to endure seasonal scarcity of food. Finally, the seminar will highlight the effects of the immediate environment as well as current and future climatic conditions, to infer generalizable rules for a better understanding of insect performance in a rapidly changing world.