Dedicated Issue â Adaptations to Changing. Environments. How do insects adapt to varying environments? Obviously this is a quite simple question, but at the ...
Physiological Entomology (2013) 38, 95
DOI: 10.1111/phen.12017
Editorial Dedicated Issue – Adaptations to Changing Environments How do insects adapt to varying environments? Obviously this is a quite simple question, but at the same time it is tough to answer. The appropriate response has to encompass daily, seasonal and more extended time scales as well as many research fields, from ecology, behaviour, morphometrics, biochemistry and physiology to molecular biology. In temperate zones, insects develop unique morphological or physiological characteristics seasonally to overcome harsh biotic and/or abiotic environmental changes. Some organisms have evolved sophisticated systems that allow them to anticipate forthcoming unfavourable seasons. Insects inhabiting Polar Regions have evolved unique mechanisms to withstand severe environmental challenges. These topics were discussed at two recent symposia - ‘Photoperiodic induction of diapause and seasonal morphs’ and ‘New complexities in the regulation of insect diapause and cold hardiness’ held during the XXIV International Congress of Entomology that convened in Daegu, South Korea, August 19–25, 2012. Many of the symposia participants kindly agreed to contribute papers to this Dedicated
© 2013 The Royal Entomological Society
Issue of Physiological Entomology. We appreciate their efforts, timely submissions and hope that they enjoy the finished product. Thank you to all of the contributors. In the issue, two reviews focus on photoperiodism and the production of seasonal morphs in aphids and butterflies, and a third on surviving cold temperatures as part of the seasonal diapause syndrome, as well as on more intermittent, much shorter time scales. In addition, this issue includes original papers providing examples of recent advances and approaches to the understanding adaptations to environmental fluctuation in a range of insect species. Although the issue cannot be comprehensive for all aspects related to the topic, it covers a number of research themes, such as diapause, temperature tolerance, circadian rhythms, photoperiodism, polyphenism, seasonal morphs, as well as encompassing techniques from molecular biology to physiology. We believe this issue will introduce and enlighten readers on contemporary aspects of environmental adaptations in insects. Shin G. Goto, Kyeong-Yeoll Lee and Jim Hardie
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