Meeting Abstract
The relationship between climate change and the increasing rate of emergence of infectious diseases is one the most formidable ecological problems of our time. In this sense, the vector-borne diseases are especially susceptible to climate change due to most disease’s vectors are ectotherms, which make them susceptible to temperature changes. In this work, we studied the possible impact of thermal variability on locomotion performance in a Chagas disease vector, Triatoma infestans. Individuals from laboratory colonies were randomly assigned to four thermal treatments during 5 weeks (18±0ºC, 18±5ºC, 27±0ºC and 27±5ºC). We quantified the effect of temperature on walking speed on fifth-instars individuals exposed at eight temperatures (from 8 to 42ºC). Maximum velocity (Vmax), temperature optima (To) and performance breath (Tbr) were estimated. We fit linear mixed models for each variable with temperature, body weight and its interaction term as predictor variables. Preliminary results showed that To decreased in individuals acclimated to 18±5 ºC and increased in those acclimated to 27 ±5 ºC. Vmax did not change in individuals acclimated to lower and variable temperatures while temperature variability increased Vmax on 27 ±5 ºC individuals. Regarding to Tbr, it did not change with temperature variability but indeed decreased in individuals acclimatized to lower temperatures. Our results evidence that T. infestans could improve thermal performance at higher and variable temperatures as the predicted temperatures by scenarios of climate change. FONDECYT 11160839
