Meeting Abstract
An insect’s capacity to survive low temperatures throughout winter is critical for range expansion in temperate regions. To cope with these stresses, many insects enter a state of developmental arrest known as diapause. The Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) is a wood-boring, forest pest species native to China and the Korean peninsula that has a complex life history spanning one to three years. ALB can overwinter as eggs or any larval instar, but little is known about its overwintering physiology. In this study, we measure metabolic rates, thermal sensitivity and cold tolerance strategy of ALB larvae from an invasive, North American population before, during, and after exposure to chilled temperatures. We then use this initial characterization to inform targeted metabolomics of larval hemolymph and fat body and tissue-specific RNA-seq of subesophageal ganglion, midgut, hindgut, Malpighian tubules, and fat body.
