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Simple Summary: The heat-loving paper wasp Polistes dominula builds small nests in sheltered places in quite differing habitats, providing a favorable microclimate for brood development. Their careful choice of the nesting site enables them to keep the nest and brood temperature above the ambient air temperature. In temperate Austrian (Central European) climates, the cooling efforts of the adult wasps keep the mean comb temperature from exceeding approximately 39 °C, which seems to be a threshold for optimal development. Measurement of the nest and the body temperature of the wasps at typical nesting sites revealed a close relationship with the air temperature at the nests but a suboptimal correlation with climate data from a local standard weather station or model-generated macroclimate data. The comparison emphasizes the importance of microclimate measurements if it is to judge the vulnerability of insects to climate change. The paper wasp Polistes dominula is a thermophilic species originating from the Mediterranean climate, but is now widely spread in Europe. They live in quite differing habitats; and as synanthropic species, they have been established in human settlement areas. They build a single small comb at protected places with a favorable microclimate. We measured the temperature of the wasps, the nests and their environment at typical nesting sides in Austria (Europe) in the temperate climate, in order to reveal relationships between nest and body temperature and the habitats' microclimate. The temperatures of the comb and of the wasps' body were in a wide range (~20–37 °C) above the ambient air temperature at the nest. This is an advantage as higher temperatures accelerate the development speed of the brood. However, the mean comb temperature did not exceed approximately 38.6 °C. This was managed by cooling efforts of the adult wasps. The ambient air temperature near the nest (~1–2 cm) was always clearly elevated above the ambient air temperature at a local standard weather station in the habitat. A comparison with climate-model-generated macroclimate data revealed the necessity of measuring microclimate data for a reliable description of the insects' thermal environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: During overwintering diapause, the gynes of paper wasps (Polistes sp.) are mainly dormant in sheltered hibernacles, protecting them against predators and adverse weather conditions but hardly against low temperatures. By measuring the temperature inside hibernacles occupied by species from both Mediterranean (Italian; P. dominula, P. gallicus) and temperate (Austrian; P. dominula) climates (mean hibernacle temperatures: 8.5 °C and 3.2 °C, respectively), we were able to calculate the energetic demand of overwintering. The cumulative energetic costs differed between the populations. Costs were lowest for the P. dominula population from the cooler Austrian winter climate and significantly higher in P. dominula and P. gallicus from the warmer Italian climate. The lower costs of the temperate species were a result of the lower winter temperature and physiological acclimation processes. Energetic calculations with an assumed temperature increase of up to 3 °C due to climate change predict a dramatic increase of up to 40% in overwintering costs in all species. Gynes of paper wasps (Polistes sp.) spend the cold season in sheltered hibernacles. These hibernacles protect against predators and adverse weather conditions but offer only limited protection against low temperatures. During overwintering diapause, wasps live on the energy they store. We investigated the hibernacles' microclimate conditions of species from the Mediterranean (Italy, P. dominula, P. gallicus) and temperate (Austria, P. dominula) climates in order to describe the environmental conditions and calculate the energetic demand of overwintering according to standard metabolic rate functions. The temperatures at the hibernacles differed significantly between the Mediterranean and temperate habitats (average in Austria: 3.2 ± 5.71 °C, in Italy: 8.5 ± 5.29 °C). In both habitats, the hibernacle temperatures showed variance, but the mean hibernacle temperature corresponded closely to the meteorological climate data. Cumulative mass-specific energetic costs over the studied period were the lowest for the temperate P. dominula population compared with both Mediterranean species. The lower costs of the temperate species were a result of the lower hibernacle temperature and acclimation to lower environmental temperatures. Model calculations with an increased mean temperature of up to 3 °C due to climate change indicate a dramatic increase of up to 40% in additional costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Ambient temperature is a main external parameter in the life of ectothermic insects. It affects egg and larval development as well as adults' survival, thriving and propagation, and successful overwintering. We conducted temperature measurements in Central Europe in the habitat and in the microhabitats of Pyrrhocoris apterus, a herbivorous bug species almost ubiquitous in Eurasia, with a high invasive potential (USA, Central America, India and Australia). and set them against freely available climate data commonly used to characterize habitat climate. Our temperature measurements were also compared to the bug species' thermal limits (critical thermal minima and maxima). Ambient temperatures outside the thermal boundaries of P. apterus can and do occur in the habitat. Microhabitat measurement showed that in summer, individuals simply moved from hot areas to cooler ones, and in winter they sought areas with bearable temperatures for hibernation. Temperatures in these particular areas are not (always) represented in large-scale climate tables, leading to possible misinterpretation of the future dispersal behavior, e.g., of invasive species. Ambient temperature is a main parameter that determines the thriving and propagation of ectothermic insects. It affects egg and larval development as well as adults' survival and successful overwintering. Pyrrhocoris apterus is a herbivorous bug species almost ubiquitous in Eurasia. Its distribution extends from the Atlantic Coast to Siberia, Northwest China and Mongolia. After introduction, it established successfully in the USA, Central America, India and Australia, which indicates a high invasive potential of this species. We determined the climatic conditions in Central Europe in a habitat where P. apterus has been continuously observed for decades. We conducted temperature measurements in the habitat and in the microhabitats where individuals could be found during the year and set them against freely available climate data commonly used to characterize habitat climate. Our temperature measurements were also compared to thermal limits (critical thermal minima and maxima). Although ambient temperatures outside the thermal boundaries of P. apterus can and do occur in the habitat, the bugs thrive and propagate. Microhabitat measurement in winter showed that individuals sought areas with favorable temperatures for hibernation. In particular, these areas are not (always) represented in large-scale climate tables, leading to possible misinterpretation of future patterns of spread of invasive species spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During foraging honeybees are always endothermic to stay ready for immediate flight and to promote fast exploitation of resources. This means high energetic costs. Since energy turnover of foragers may vary in a broad range, energetic estimations under field conditions have remained uncertain. We developed an advanced model, combining the benefits of mechanistic and correlative models, which enables estimation of the energy turnover of stationary foragers from measurements of body surface temperature, ambient air temperature and global radiation. A comprehensive dataset of simultaneously measured energy turnover (ranging from 4 to 85 mW) and body surface temperature (thorax surface temperature ranging from 33.3 to 45 °C) allowed the direct verification of model accuracy. The model variants enable estimation of the energy turnover of stationary honeybee foragers with high accuracy both in shade and in sunshine, with SD of residuals = 5.7 mW and R2 = 0.89. Its prediction accuracy is similar throughout the main range of environmental conditions foragers usually experience, covering any combination of ambient air temperature of 14–38 °C and global radiation of 3–1000 W m−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metabolism of ectotherms is temperature-dependent, and the exponential nature of the metabolic rate- temperature relationship means that warmer temperatures are disproportionately affecting the energy balance. T SB a sb (standard met.) temperature deviation from microclimate ambient nest temperature was -3.6 °C in I P. dominula i , -2.4 °C in I P. gallicus i , and -3.3 °C in I P. biglumis i ). The energetic calculations were conducted using temperature-dependent metabolic rate models of the three I Polistes i species, I P. dominula i , I P. gallicus i and I P. biglumis i [[17], [29]], and adequate body temperature models [[4], [17]]. The nest ambient air temperatures in the three habitats were clearly elevated above the meteorological standard ambient temperature recorded by the nearest weather stations (temperature difference, I P. dominula i : 3.6 °C, I P. gallicus i : 2.4 °C, I P. biglumis i : 3.3 °C; Figure 2). [Extracted from the article]

Winter in climatic regions with low temperatures is a challenge for overwintering insects. They are exposed to temperature extremes, which directly cause mortality or lead to energy depletion. The winter hibernaculum of paper wasp gynes protects from predators and rain, but only poorly from ambient temperature. In order to detect physiological adaptations to differing climates, we compared the respiratory metabolism of overwintering gynes of two polistine species from the Mediterranean climate in Italy (Polistes dominula and Polistes gallicus), and of one species from the temperate climate in Austria (Polistes dominula). The wasps' CO2 emission was measured with stop‐flow respirometry in a temperature range from 2.5 to 20 °C. The mass‐specific standard (resting) metabolic rate, the main type of metabolism of the dormant insects during overwintering, increased exponentially with ambient temperature but was suppressed in comparison to individuals measured in the summer, which conserves the energy stores. In addition, it was lower in the Mediterranean species (P. dominula and P. gallicus) in comparison to the temperate species (P. dominula), especially at higher temperatures. The active metabolic rate was suppressed to a similar amount. The suppressed metabolism of the overwintering Mediterranean gynes could be an adaptation to the higher winter temperatures to prevent a premature depletion of the energy resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polistes paper wasps are a widespread taxon inhabiting various climates. They build nests in the open without a protective outer layer, which makes them vulnerable to changing temperatures. To better understand the options they have to react to environmental variation and climate change, we here compare the thermoregulatory behavior of Polistes biglumis from cool Alpine climate with Polistes gallicus from warm Mediterranean climate. Behavioral plasticity helps both of them to withstand environmental variation. P. biglumis builds the nests oriented toward east-south-east to gain solar heat of the morning sun. This increases the brood temperature considerably above the ambience, which speeds up brood development. P. gallicus, by contrast, mostly avoids nesting sites with direct insolation, which protects their brood from heat stress on hot days. To keep the brood temperature below 40–42 °C on warm days, the adults of the two species show differential use of their common cooling behaviors. While P. biglumis prefers fanning of cool ambient air onto the nest heated by the sun and additionally cools with water drops, P. gallicus prefers cooling with water drops because fanning of warm ambient air onto a warm nest would not cool it, and restricts fanning to nests heated by the sun. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overwintering insects are facing energetic challenges because of food shortage, low temperature, and desiccation stress. Paper wasps of the genus Polistes overwinter as mated adults (gynes) in hibernacula protecting them from predation, snow, and rain but barely from low environmental temperature. In different climates, they face differing overwintering temperature regimes, and therefore they may differ in their energy use. We investigated how much of energy resources built up until autumn is used during diapause dormancy in natural hibernacula by measuring lipid, glycogen, and free carbohydrate content in autumn and early spring in Polistes dominula from temperate European (Austrian) and warm Mediterranean (Italian) climate and Polistes gallicus from Mediterranean climate. Winter energy consumption amounted to ~ 339 and ~ 310 J per wasp in the Austrian and Italian Polistes dominula populations. The smaller Italian Polistes gallicus consumed ~ 247 J. This amounts to 2.62, 2.35, and 1.79 J per day. Of this, the energy demand was mainly fuelled by lipids (84%, 93%, and 90%, respectively), but glycogen stores contributed also considerably (16%, 6%, and 9%). Free carbohydrates decreased only by 0.7%, 1%, and 0.8%. While fat stores seem still sufficient in spring, the wasps depleted most of their carbohydrates. The energy reserves of 396, 400, and 147 J per wasp remaining in spring in the three populations seem sufficient to fuel rest or simple brood care activities for a whole summer but restrict foraging flights to a few hours (~ 3.5–6 h). Results suggest that energy supply might become challenging in expected future climate scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]