This study was conducted to determine the effects of increased water temperatures on the development of Aedes aegypti immatures under laboratory conditions in Trinidad, West Indies using temperature regulated water baths to cover a range of temperatures from 24-25°C to 34-35°C at a relative humidity of 80%. Two experiments were designed: (1) at constant temperature regimens and (2) under diurna...

Organisms in natural environments experience diel temperature fluctuations, including sporadic extreme conditions, rather than constant temperatures. Studies based mainly on model organisms have tended to focus on responses to average temperatures or short-term heat stress, which overlooks the potential impact of daily fluctuations, including stressful daytime periods and milder night-time peri...

Ectotherms commonly adjust storage and membrane lipid composition to ambient temperature to counteract detrimental thermal effects on lipid fluidity. The effect of repeated temperature fluctuations on fatty acid composition and thermal tolerance was investigated. We exposed Orchesella cincta to two constant temperatures (5ºC and 20°C), and a continuously fluctuating treatment (5ºC/20ºC every tw...

In many ectotherms, exposure to high temperatures can improve subsequent tolerance to higher temperatures. However, the differential effects of single, repeated or continuous exposure to high temperatures are less clear. We measured the effects of single heat shocks and of diurnally fluctuating or constant rearing temperatures on the critical thermal maximum (CTmax) for final instar larvae of M...