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Data from: Exploring the universal ecological responses to climate change in a univoltine butterfly

Data from: Exploring the universal ecological responses to climate change in a univoltine butterfly
Data from: Exploring the universal ecological responses to climate change in a univoltine butterfly
1. Animals with distinct life stages are often exposed to different temperatures during each stage. Thus, how temperature affects these life stages should be considered for broadly understanding the ecological consequences of climate warming on such species. For example, temperature variation during particular life stages may affect respective change in body size, phenology and geographic range, which have been identified as the “universal” ecological responses to climate change. While each of these responses has been separately documented across a number of species, it is not known whether each response occurs together within a species. The influence of temperature during particular life stages may help explain each of these ecological responses to climate change. 2. Our goal was to determine if monthly temperature variation during particular life stages of a butterfly species can predict respective changes in body size and phenology. We also refer to the literature to assess if temperature variability during the adult stage influences range change over time. 3. Using historical museum collections paired with monthly temperature records, we show that changes in body size and phenology of the univoltine butterfly, Hesperia comma, are partly dependent upon temporal variation in summer temperatures during key stages of their life cycle. June temperatures, which are likely to affect growth rate of the final larval instar, are important for predicting adult body size (for males only; showing a positive relationship with temperature). July temperatures, which are likely to influence the pupal stage, are important for predicting the timing of adult emergence (showing a negative relationship with temperature). Previous studies show that August temperatures, which act on the adult stage, are linked to range change. 4. Our study highlights the importance of considering temperature variation during each life stage over historic time-scales for understanding intraspecific response to climate change. Range edge studies of ectothermic species that have annual life cycles, long time-series occurrence data, and associated temperature records (ideally at monthly resolutions) could be useful model systems for intraspecific tests of the universal ecological responses to climate change and for exploring interactive effects.
DRYAD
Fenberg, Phillip B.
c73918cd-98cc-41e6-a18c-bf0de4f1ace8
Self, Angela
1f229a64-c497-4151-84ed-25cf0cf6edb5
Stewart, John R.
a1f39867-c680-4274-a33e-ee40fbe1d4cb
Wilson, Rebecca J.
3eb91ab1-d5c4-4f0c-a5d1-8944b536a296
Brooks, Stephen J.
a5c731e5-2874-46ca-a55c-1726dd3fcb22
Fenberg, Phillip B.
c73918cd-98cc-41e6-a18c-bf0de4f1ace8
Self, Angela
1f229a64-c497-4151-84ed-25cf0cf6edb5
Stewart, John R.
a1f39867-c680-4274-a33e-ee40fbe1d4cb
Wilson, Rebecca J.
3eb91ab1-d5c4-4f0c-a5d1-8944b536a296
Brooks, Stephen J.
a5c731e5-2874-46ca-a55c-1726dd3fcb22

(2017) Data from: Exploring the universal ecological responses to climate change in a univoltine butterfly. DRYAD doi:10.5061/dryad.r2250 [Dataset]

Record type: Dataset

Abstract

1. Animals with distinct life stages are often exposed to different temperatures during each stage. Thus, how temperature affects these life stages should be considered for broadly understanding the ecological consequences of climate warming on such species. For example, temperature variation during particular life stages may affect respective change in body size, phenology and geographic range, which have been identified as the “universal” ecological responses to climate change. While each of these responses has been separately documented across a number of species, it is not known whether each response occurs together within a species. The influence of temperature during particular life stages may help explain each of these ecological responses to climate change. 2. Our goal was to determine if monthly temperature variation during particular life stages of a butterfly species can predict respective changes in body size and phenology. We also refer to the literature to assess if temperature variability during the adult stage influences range change over time. 3. Using historical museum collections paired with monthly temperature records, we show that changes in body size and phenology of the univoltine butterfly, Hesperia comma, are partly dependent upon temporal variation in summer temperatures during key stages of their life cycle. June temperatures, which are likely to affect growth rate of the final larval instar, are important for predicting adult body size (for males only; showing a positive relationship with temperature). July temperatures, which are likely to influence the pupal stage, are important for predicting the timing of adult emergence (showing a negative relationship with temperature). Previous studies show that August temperatures, which act on the adult stage, are linked to range change. 4. Our study highlights the importance of considering temperature variation during each life stage over historic time-scales for understanding intraspecific response to climate change. Range edge studies of ectothermic species that have annual life cycles, long time-series occurrence data, and associated temperature records (ideally at monthly resolutions) could be useful model systems for intraspecific tests of the universal ecological responses to climate change and for exploring interactive effects.

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More information

Published date: 2017

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 448663
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/448663
PURE UUID: 6c97cc0c-7f5c-422c-8306-287f203127be
ORCID for Phillip B. Fenberg: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4474-176X
ORCID for Rebecca J. Wilson: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-5705-6078

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 29 Apr 2021 16:32
Last modified: 06 May 2023 01:49

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Contributors

Contributor: Phillip B. Fenberg ORCID iD
Contributor: Angela Self
Contributor: John R. Stewart
Contributor: Rebecca J. Wilson ORCID iD
Contributor: Stephen J. Brooks

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