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Dryad

Data from: Testing metabolic cold adaptation and the climatic variability hypotheses across the latitudinal range of a widespread, supratidal water beetle

Data files

Mar 25, 2024 version files 27.88 KB

Abstract

Temperature significantly impacts ectotherm physiology, with thermal and metabolic traits varying with latitude but the drivers of this variation remain unclear, despite obvious consequences in the face of ongoing global change. This study explores metabolic cold adaptation (MCA) and the climatic variability hypothesis (CVH) to evaluate local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity of metabolic rates and thermal limits in two populations of the supratidal rockpool beetle Ochthebius lejolisii from localities experiencing contrasting thermal variability. Reciprocal acclimation was conducted under spring temperature regimes of both localities, incorporating local diurnal variation. Metabolic rates were measured by closed respirometry, and thermal tolerance limits estimated through thermography. In line with MCA, the northern population (colder climate) showed higher metabolic rates and Q10s at lower temperatures than the southern population. As predicted by the CVH, the southern population (more variable climate) showed higher upper thermal tolerance but only the northern population was able to acclimate upper thermal limits. This pattern suggests the existence of trade-offs in thermal adaptation in this species, likely increasing the vulnerability of populations on Mediterranean coasts to the projected increases in extreme temperatures under ongoing climate change.